Crown Point sophomore midfielder Lily Maldonado is not the type of player who is going to make waves.
Relationship building is too important to Maldonado, whose older sister Sophia is also on the team. Maldonado creates success her way.
“She has no ego,” Crown Point coach Dave Bock said. “She loves playing. She’s a pretty quiet girl, and you learn that when you talk to her. But she’s friends with all the girls. None of them would have a negative thing to say about her.
“She just goes about her business, and you can tell she plays with a lot of joy and comfort. She belongs out there, and she really enjoys it.”
Maldonado has had plenty to enjoy this season. After primarily playing a defensive role as a freshman late last season, she leads the Duneland Athletic Conference champion Bulldogs (10-3-3, 7-0) with 10 goals and 12 assists as they prepare for the Class 3A Crown Point Sectional next week.
The Bulldogs’ 29-game conference winning streak began in 2022, well before Maldonado, but her addition has only strengthened the team.
“It feels good knowing people think positively about me because I try not to yell at everybody or get mad when we’re messing up,” she said. “I’ve just tried to be more positive on the field.
“Outside of soccer, I like talking to everybody because on the field we’re more competitive. But it’s nice to still have that bond so we can go into the games and feel like we can work well together.”
Maldonado’s relationships with two teammates in particular stand out but for different reasons.
One is junior forward Reily Beach, who also has 10 goals as well as four assists. Beach can drive, and Maldonado is often her passenger. They’ve grown close during their time together off the field.
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“I can always go to her and talk to her about anything,” Beach said. “If we both want to be locked in and ready for practice, we are both going to be locked in. But then after practice, we’re going to have fun and drive each other around and stuff. Well, I drive her because she doesn’t have her license yet.
“But we just have that connection outside of practices and games where we can talk about random stuff, school, soccer or her sister — stuff like that.”
Maldonado’s older sister Sophia is a senior midfielder who has five goals and eight assists for the Bulldogs. They are among several sibling pairings on the roster, a dynamic that adds another layer to Bock’s coaching duties.
“Lily definitely pushes Sophia, and Sophia is the typical big sister,” Bock said. “But they’re both really good kids, and they get along a lot better than a lot of sisters do and enjoy spending time together. There’s definitely something there in terms of a comfort level playing in the same midfield together.
“They understand each other’s games really well, so that helps. They definitely aren’t afraid to hold each other accountable, and, again, they get along really well.”
Sophia Maldonado has also played a significant role in Lily’s development as a player.
“She is someone I’ve looked up to because she always gets to go through everything first,” Lily Maldonado said. “That helps me get an idea of what it’s like, and I can see what she does. She knows how to help me because she’s already been through it and experienced it.”
That guidance should prove invaluable during the postseason. Even so, coaches and teammates believe Maldonado would thrive regardless. Looking ahead, Bock said he’s confident she will have opportunities to play in college.
Beach knows the secret to Maldonado’s success.
“She’s a little demon because she’s so quiet, but then you see her on the field, and she’s just going at it,” Beach said. “She’s not letting anyone else have that ball except her and our team.”
Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.