Vernon Hills senior Eva Lukian started playing soccer at age 4 to follow in her older sister Victoria's footsteps.
But Lukian quickly made the sport his own.
“I fell in love with the competitive nature of soccer,” she said. “Football is also a big safe place for me where I can forget everything. It has always been that way for me. I have been very passionate about football since I was little. It was my zone.”
Lukian, who scored a team-high nine goals last season despite missing several games due to injury, decided to play soccer at Kent State University, one of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference, and to support his family. It broke new ground. Decades.
Lukian never imagined she would earn a scholarship to play soccer, and her parents, Igor and Susie, who were born in Kiev and immigrated to the United States at an early age, always encouraged her to play soccer. However, he said he did not force himself.
“My dad was a big soccer fan and played at Maine East High School,” Lukian said. “He loves soccer. My parents coached my rec team and took me to the field to get touches. They were always involved with me and my sister, and we were both I wanted what was best for me.”
Lukian started attracting the attention of college coaches a few years ago. Igor Lukyan said it wasn't an easy process, even though Ava received nearly 10 offers for her.
“It felt like work,” he said. “Literally every night after work, I emailed the coach asking her to come see her play and sent her a video. It was nonstop back and forth. It was basically contact information, hello, and a video of her playing. It was a year of non-stop additional work with coaches who wanted to come see her. After seeing her play, we started exchanging even more emails.
“It was really great to see the coaches think as highly of her as we do.”
Eva Lukian said spending more time with her father during the recruitment process was an unexpected benefit.
“He was there every second of the way,” she said. “I don't know what I would have done without him.”
But Lukian delivered on the field, highlighting her speed, athleticism and versatility for the Cougars (2-1-1).
“You can stick her anywhere on the field,” Vernon Hills coach Corey Smith said. “If she's a player like her, she can put her where she's needed the most in that moment. Because of her presence, she's definitely a great resource for others. You can create.”
Smith, in his third season in charge of the program, has seen Lukian rise from a talented player with the potential to be an in-demand college recruit to one of the top players in the state. .
“From her freshman year, we knew her physical gifts would take her all the way to the varsity,” Smith said. “She passes the eye test in every way. She's phenomenal box-to-box and just flies around and causes problems for other teams. She looks like she's accelerating. That's what she One of his best attributes is his ability to go from zero to 60 with or without the ball.”
Vernon Hills senior goaltender Carly Sides, a Northern Michigan native, said she has always appreciated what Lukian brings to the team.
“What makes Eva such a talented player is her ball speed and work ethic on the field,” Sides said. “She is able to lead the team through her relentless spirit to always win the ball. She never backs down from any challenge. A big reason why she is a leader on our team is because all of the girls Because I respect her.”
Lukian said he has come a long way.
“My parents can't believe their daughter is going to play in college,” she said. “If my younger self saw me now, she would be so in awe of what I accomplished and so proud. I didn't expect that, but I put in a lot of hard work and effort to be seen and play my best.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
