Naperville Central senior forward Malia Shen’s willingness to try new things is one reason why she has become one of the most versatile soccer players in the area.
It’s also why she has decided to end her playing career just as it has reached its apex.
Shen, who aspires to become a nurse, will not play soccer in college, even though she had many suitors.
“It was always going to be hard, but that wasn’t really why,” she said. “There’s a lot of programs that were willing to let me try nursing and soccer.
“I just decided that I wanted to step away. As much fun as I’ve had playing soccer, I just want to try something new and see where college takes me.”
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Shen has already gotten a taste of life without soccer. She decided not to play club soccer in the offseason. That meant she went more than six months without playing the sport, an unprecedented gap for her.
“It has its drawbacks and benefits,” she said. “I got to try something new and play flag football in the fall, but then obviously I had to work really hard to get my touches.
“So it’s really great to be back. All the girls have been amazing, and our team camaraderie is great.”
The speedy Shen, who has totaled 18 goals and 11 assists during a four-year varsity career, is also back at her original position. She played forward as a freshman and a sophomore, but last season Naperville Central coach Troy Adams switched her and Emerson Burke to defense, where both shined.
“Malia understands soccer so well,” Adams said. “You really could plug Malia into any position other than goalie, probably, and you’re going to have an all-conference player. You sometimes take that for granted.
“But if our center back goes down, we don’t have to call up a JV player. She can play there.”
Shen and Burke, a Michigan commit who will graduate early, are back up top this spring and wreaking havoc, just as they have for nine years in club soccer.
“It’s so much fun,” Burke said. “We play together very well since we’ve been playing together for so long. It’s just kind of rekindling that.”
The Redhawks (7-0) have been on fire. Shen has six goals and two assists, scoring twice in each of the past two games.
Burke had a hat trick and assisted on one of Shen’s two breakaway goals during Naperville Central’s 7-0 nonconference win over St. Charles North at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Shen is deadly in open space. She has a knack for knowing where to go and what to do when the ball finds her, as she demonstrated by scoring a brilliant goal off a lead pass from junior midfielder Nicole Sacek during the Redhawks’ 3-0 DuPage Valley Conference win over Neuqua Valley on April 7.
Sacek, a Wyoming recruit, said plays like that indicate Shen could excel at the next level.
“If you’re playing Division I, DII, DIII, that doesn’t define you as a player,” Sacek said. “Everyone is on their own path. Clearly, even though that wasn’t what Malia’s choice was, that doesn’t define her as a player because she’s still just as great as any other DI player. It proves that quality doesn’t come from your future.”
Shen’s future is bright. She has an aunt who is a nurse and is excited about joining her in the profession.
“I’ve always just had a passion for helping people, and I’m really interested in the medical field,” she said. “I also want to have a different day every day. I don’t want to be stuck in an office, in a box, so I like the spontaneity of it.
“I think soccer translates really well to nursing, so I hope that will take me far.”
The Redhawks have gone far during Shen’s career, including a sectional title in 2024, their first since 1995.
“There’s so many good memories,” Shen said. “I think just being able to be part of something bigger and being able to represent our school is really special.”
Burke said playing with Shen has been special.
“Her play speaks for itself, but she’s a very good teammate,” Burke said. “She’s very uplifting and very encouraging toward the younger players especially. She’s a really good role model for everyone.”
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Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.