Kierra Dahlgren needed a break.
So as a freshman at Kankakee Valley, she stepped away from playing.
The time off recharged her batteries, and led to a realization.
“I really missed it,” Dahlgren said.
So as a sophomore, she returned. Having played primarily before as a defender with goalkeeping mixed in, she emerged as the starter in net for the JV. That team had a need at the position and with her background in basketball, which she stopped playing after her freshman season, the move made sense.
Now?
Dahlgren, a senior, is in her second season as a standout goalkeeper for the Kougars. And she can’t imagine playing any other position.
Neither can coach Audrey Johnson.
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“She definitely works hard at it,” Johnson said. “She’s put in a lot of time developing her skills and figuring out the best strategies. She’s always very coachable. She’s always trying to learn something more and trying to get better at it.”
Taking over in goal for KV last season was not an easy task for Dahlgren. She succeeded four-year starter Mackenzie DeMars.
“She was a really good goalie,” Dahlgren said. “I had big shoes to fill.”
The process didn’t always go smoothly, including the Kougars’ 4-2 loss at Argos in her debut.
“I was pretty nervous at first,” Dahlgren said. “My first game, I let in a couple that I shouldn’t have. But I started playing better.”
She pointed to a 2-0 win against Griffith in mid-September as a breakthrough. Despite being “really sick,” she “stuck in there” to make 16 saves, including stopping two penalty kicks.
“That really built up my confidence,” Dahlgren said.
Dahlgren backstopped Kankakee Valley to its first sectional title since 2009, posting a 2-1 win against perennial postseason nemesis Crown Point in the championship game. The Kougars topped Lake Central 3-0 in overtime in a regional semifinal before losing 1-0 in overtime to Munster in the final.
“Winning sectionals meant a lot to us,” Dahlgren said. “We’re going to see if we can win it again and win regionals, or get there again, at least. It’s going to be tough because there are some really good teams, really tough competition.”
Dahlgren is a co-captain for the Kougars this year, and has served as a mentor to the younger players, especially the next wave of goalies.
“She goes over warmups and drills with them, she shows them how to dive correctly and punt with direction, when to come out and when to hold your ground,” Johnson said. “All those things goalkeepers need to do, she’s there for them.
“All the girls just see her as being a strong leader. She isn’t afraid to get down and dirty to save a ball and help the team out. I’ve rarely seen a goalie who can and has saved as many PKs as she has. There’s no one I’d rather have back there.”
Senior moment: Munster forward Cami Kekelik made a ceremonial start in Thursday’s senior night win against Merrillville, even taking the kickoff before subbing out quickly.
“We got her cleared to stand on the field,” Mustangs coach Valerie Pflum said.
But Kekelik, who has been sidelined with a torn ACL and meniscus after scoring a team-high 16 goals last season, could be nearing an actual return. She was scheduled to be reevaluated Monday by her doctor.
“We’ll see,” Pflum said. “We need her, we miss her. She’s the heart and soul of our team — she always has been.”
The Mustangs (4-1) play Tuesday at Andrean (4-1) in the de facto Northwest Crossroads Conference championship game.
On the thirds: With each at 5-1 in the Duneland Athletic Conference, Chesterton, Crown Point and Valparaiso are poised to split the title.
The Trojans, Bulldogs and Vikings will be favored in Tuesday’s conference finales against LaPorte (2-4), Michigan City (0-6) and Portage (3-3), respectively.
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Top 10
With last week’s rankings in parentheses
1. Valparaiso (2)
2. Munster (1)
3. Chesterton (4)
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4. Crown Point (3)
5. Andrean (5)
6. Wheeler (9)
7. Highland (10)
8. Kankakee Valley (7)
9. Lake Central (6)
10. Griffith (8)
Player of the Week: Andrean’s Danielle Tazic, a senior, scored twice Tuesday, including the go-ahead goal, as the 59ers edged Kankakee Valley 3-2.