Over the last decade, Steve Goletz has won three Class 3A state championships in girls soccer at Naperville North. He has coached a ton of Division I players.
After his unbeaten powerhouse played Batavia on March 24, Goletz went out of his way to pay senior goalkeeper Aubrey Hahn the ultimate compliment.
He spliced together video clips of saves that Hahn made as a goalkeeper for the Bulldogs against the Huskies. He also shared them with friends in the coaching community.
Despite the 1-0 loss, Hahn’s spectacular play became a viral sensation.
“Aubrey made two of the best saves I have seen in a long time in a five-minute span,” Goletz said. “Her ability to make the spectacular look effortless really impressed me.”
After two years away from the high school level due to the lost pandemic season and then only playing club last year, Hahn is back with a vengeance for Batavia (4-1-2).
The Iowa recruit has posted five shutouts already for the Bulldogs, conceding just two goals for a goals-against average of 0.28.
“She not only has great reflexes,” Goletz said. “But she reads the game so well and took away so many chances by playing high enough off her line to clear balls most of the time.”
The 5-foot-7 Hahn is not physically overpowering but has a fearless and electric style.
“You can’t get nervous,” she said. “Everybody has all eyes on me and you just have to play. You just have to be mentally strong and confident.
“When you’re not confident, that’s when you make mistakes.”
The game against Naperville North was not an outlier. It illustrated her high-risk, high-reward manner.
“I just play my own game and do my own thing,” Hahn said. “Most of the time it’s just a reaction.
“I love the one-on-one. I know specifically when to go right at the attacking players. The odds are in their favor to score, so it feels great when I save one in that situation.”
As a freshman in 2019, Hahn made an audacious debut. She split time with Hailey Flannagan, who was two years older, and helped Batavia win a regional title.
After her sophomore season was canceled due to the pandemic, Hahn elected to focus on the developmental academy with the Oak Brook-based Eclipse club.
Hahn, who committed to Iowa in the fall 2020, knew the moment was right for her return to high school competition.
Junior forward Lily Figueras had limited contact with Hahn before the season but immediately recognized her value to the team.
“I admire her spirited energy,” Figueras said. “Her positivity definitely reflects onto our entire team and helps create a fun environment.
“Her communication is just as good an attribute as her athleticism. She is a great asset for our team.”
Hahn was a field player until the seventh grade. Her youth coach asked for a show of hands from any player with experience playing basketball.
“The coach threw me into the goal,” Hahn said. “It was natural to me and I kept going with it.”
Hahn credits her athleticism and explosive ability inside the box to her background playing midfielder and forward.
“I just love being a leader,” Hahn said. “I like that I am able to talk with the whole team and see everything from the point of view of the goal.”
The return of Hahn has boosted Batavia to a strong start. She gives the Bulldogs a puncher’s chance, regardless of the level of the competition.
“She is a complete goalkeeper,” Goletz said of Hahn. “She is going to keep Batavia in a lot of games this season.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.