Naperville Central junior defender Kate Boogerd can appreciate the irony.
Even though she’s a first-year starter, Boogerd is also the oldest player on the Redhawks’ back line, so that hasn’t stopped her from running the show from center back.
One reason for that is Boogerd is no stranger to the program. Her oldest sister, Maddie, played forward for the Redhawks and recently finished a four-year career at Trinity Christian.
“She had a lot of insight on how to be a good soccer player,” Boogerd said. “Looking up to her as she played college soccer was really helpful too.”
Despite their five-year age difference, Boogerd and her oldest sister were close growing up, a bond that extended to the soccer field.
“We would train together a lot, so it was really helpful because she was older than me,” Boogerd said. “It definitely made me better to see how to defend against people that are stronger and faster. That was helpful, especially for a center back.”
Now Boogerd, a second-year varsity player, is helping the Redhawks (10-0), who have allowed just five goals despite having no seniors among their starting defenders.
“She’s actually the oldest kid back there,” Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said. “She’s been a nice, steadying presence. She doesn’t get flustered very often, which is a great quality for a center back.”
Humility is another good quality because defenders rarely get recognition. That’s especially true this season for the Redhawks, whose high-powered offense is averaging 5.1 goals.
Senior defensive midfielder Nicole Smith knows how important Boogerd has been.
“I don’t think she gets enough recognition in the back ever,” Smith said. “She’s a really hard worker. She’s disciplined. She always gets back on the ball. If she loses it, she’ll run back. She talks.”
Though not about herself.
“She’s like the nicest person ever,” Smith said. “Honestly, she’s a little too nice. She’s so sweet.”
But Boogerd is settling into her role, which means directing others where to go.
“I play the 6, but sometimes I play center back, and when we play together, she’s great,” Smith said. “She tells me where to go. I tell her where to go.
“I think her attitude is really good. I love working with her.”
Boogerd credits her sister with giving her good advice about what to expect as a starter.
“Just to always work hard and to communicate with everyone, especially since it’s my first time starting on varsity,” Boogerd said. “Learn from everyone and listen to what they have to say and what we can do better.”
Adams likes what he has seen from his defense but said it can do better. In a possible supersectional preview, the Redhawks routed previously unbeaten Wheaton Warrenville South 7-2 on Tuesday, allowing just six shots.
On Wednesday, the Redhawks defeated Minooka 5-2 in the opening game of the Naperville Invitational at Knoch Park. The Indians had only two shots but scored on both, one of which was a penalty kick.
“We’ve been working a lot in practice on communication because executing that on the field has been really important,” Boogerd said.
That’s where being the youngest sibling — Boogerd has another older sister, Ava, who played setter for the volleyball team — can be an advantage.
“It’s a huge help,” Adams said. “You’ve seen them play, you understand a little bit better what’s expected and how to do things.
“She’s been connected to the program for a long time, so she kind of understands the standards and what we want to do. So having her back there to kind of help everybody to take a deep breath at times and realize that there’s a lot of different things you can do.”
That confidence comes from repetition and a resilient mentality.
“At practice, she works hard,” Smith said of Boogerd. “Off the field, she’s in the right head space. We talk before games about being locked in. She’s very locked in before games.”
Now Boogerd is locked into the starting lineup.
“I was looking to see how we played last year, trying to work my way into it,” she said. “The team has been really welcoming.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
