Libertyville forward Molly Koch's career seemed to accelerate last year.
Koch scored the winning goal in the Class 3A third-place game between Libertyville and Lincoln-Way East and finished the season with 12 goals and 10 assists.
“I had a great junior season,” she said.
But when Koch returned to the new age group travel program FC 1974, he faced a different reality.
“I didn't get the playing time that I always got,” she said. “I struggled and it hurt my confidence a little bit.”
Koch turned that frustration into motivation and helped the Wildcats (10-3-1, 6-0) return to the top of the North Suburban Conference in his senior season. Koch, a senior, had 11 goals and five assists and was a key figure in Libertyville's late surge heading into Tuesday's conference showdown with Stevenson (11-3-2, 4-1-1). This is a contributing factor.
“She's definitely a vocal leader and shows our players the work ethic we have here,” Libertyville coach Daniel DePas said. “At the beginning of her season we challenged her to step into her larger role with expectations as her leader. It took a while for her to become comfortable. ”
Koch's travel team was loaded with talented players, including Lake Zurich's Lauren Bailey. Koch said he briefly doubted his abilities, but grew from his experience.
“It was very difficult to come off the bench,” she said. “There was a lot more pressure than starting a game because I had a guaranteed spot (in the starting lineup). I needed to be told.
“I'm looking forward to high school. The coaches believed in me and believed in me and what I could do. High school was a new start.”
Libertyville senior goaltender Kate Hopma, a freshman at Drake, said Koch is once again a difference-maker for the Wildcats.
“Over the last two years, Molly has really developed into a great player,” Hopma said. “Her speed, shooting and soccer IQ are a big part of our offense this season.”
Shannon Phillips, a junior defender at IUPUI, agreed that Koch's speed is an asset.
“There were many times our midfielders were able to play through balls to her because of her off-the-ball movement and great running around the goal,” Phillips said. “Her speed was also very important. It allowed her to evade many defenders and make good runs down the line and in the middle of the field.”
The Wildcats, the No. 4 seed in the 3A Hershey Section, will play No. 14 Prospects in the Stevenson Regional semifinals on May 14, but have lost eight games since losing 1-0 to Glenbrook South on April 13. Not yet.
DePass said Libertyville's 3-0 victory over conference rival Warren on April 16, the first game after the loss to Glenbrook South, was the turning point. Coach DePaz praised Koch for his goal against Warren.
“There aren't many players who run like she does,” DePaz said. “She’s very dynamic, she makes loops, she makes corner runs, she has the creativity to always anticipate getting into those spaces.”
Koch said his soccer career is heading in the right direction again.
“I’m growing every game,” she said. “It's great to have a good season. We're all pushing each other and there's momentum. We're all really excited for the playoffs.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
