Naperville North freshman midfielder Mary Mulvihill is never the biggest player on the field.
At times, she may be the shortest.
But the 5-foot-3 Mulvihill is always easy to notice. Her boundless pep and remarkable resilience make her a cross between the Energizer bunny and the Terminator.
“Mary has been such a joy,” Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. “For a freshman to come in and make the impact she’s made in the middle of the field is incredible.
“What she may be undersized height-wise, she makes up with heart and grit and willingness to fight and do anything we ask her to do. She’s calm, and when you’re playing against really good kids three and four years older than you, it’s tough.”
Mulvihill shows her toughness by constantly challenging for the ball and always bouncing back after getting knocked down.
Mulvihill’s mettle has impressed teammates like Loyola-bound junior midfielder Kennedy Bertsch.
“She just plays so hard every game,” Bertsch said. “She goes in for every 50-50 ball. If she loses it, the first thing she’s going to do is try to get it back. She’s been such a huge part of our team.”
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Mulvihill’s technical ability and competitiveness were on display during her playoff debut Wednesday night. She assisted on senior forward Cameryn Lynde’s second goal of the game as the fifth-seeded Huskies defeated 12th-seeded Plainfield South 7-0 in a Class 3A Naperville North Regional semifinal.
The Huskies (12-4-1) will play fourth-seeded Plainfield North (18-3) for the regional title at 5 p.m. Friday.
“It’s been tough, but I feel like when I get knocked, I always try to look to not go into the player,” Mulvihill said. “I’m just mostly focusing on the ball, and I’m always looking ahead, like where is the next player, so if I do end up with the ball, I can pass it to them.
“Even if I can’t get the ball, I still try to at least see if I can make it tougher for them.”
One play against Plainfield South (5-13) stood out. Mulvihill went up for a header, one of the Cougars challenged her from behind and they knocked heads. Mulvihill stayed on her feet, but her opponent fell to the ground and had to leave the game. The result wasn’t anything new for Mulvihill, who plays club soccer for Eclipse.
“Most ECNL teams are very rough,” Mulvihill said. “I’m not the tallest and on my club team. I play defense, so if I want to survive in the game and not get banged up, I have to be tough so obviously I don’t get hurt.”
Injuries suffered by Mulvihill’s teammates on the front and back lines forced Goletz to shuffle his lineup and move her into the midfield. The decision proved crucial because the Huskies, who averaged just 1.7 goals in the regular season, have been able to grind out low-scoring victories with their dominant midfield play.
“I’ve never played midfield before this, so jumping into a new position is hard,” Mulvihill said. “But I always want to look for opportunities to help my team go forward.
“I’m always looking to get the ball off my feet and pass it to someone instead of dribbling too much. But I definitely need to work on getting more shots so I can hopefully score.”
Mulvihill, who has three assists, hasn’t scored yet. But Goletz said she has been invaluable.
“Mary has sacrificed to make us as successful as we possibly can,” Goletz said. “She’s continuing that upward trend from Game 1 until tonight to not kind of hit that wall that sometimes happens when you’re an underclassman on varsity and you’re playing tough game after tough game.
“I can put her anywhere, and as soon as she goes in, she makes an impact wherever she is. It’s something that really is just incredible.”
Goletz added that Mulvihill plays with a chip on her shoulder and is determined to be the hardest-working player on the field. Bertsch sees that up close every game.
“She’s relentless,” Bertsch said. “I can’t wait to see how she progresses for the rest of the season and the next couple of years. I love playing with her.”
Mulvihill loves playing with the Huskies.
“It’s definitely been fun, especially because I wasn’t expecting this much as a freshman,” she said. “Everyone’s so nice.”
Mulvihill thinks she will continue to grow in height as well as in skill.
“I think there’s a little more,” she said. “Hopefully, I’ll get to 5-5.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.