The way senior midfielder Kailey Hansen plays for Batavia has been years in the making.
Riley DiBiase, also a senior midfielder for the Bulldogs, recalled Hansen from the early days. She praised her for a unique combination of presence, style, physical toughness and skill.
And the fear she struck in others.
“I have known her ever since we played on recreational teams against each other,” DiBiase said. “She was always the strongest opponent. I also played club with her for two years.
“That’s when I began to learn her style of play. She has very advanced foot skills. I am always shocked by how easily she is able to beat any player she faces.”
With her versatility, Hansen is the face of the Batavia girls soccer program this season. The Purdue Fort Wayne recruit has scored two goals for the Bulldogs (3-2).
Hansen handles a key, defensive-oriented slot for Batavia as a holding midfielder. Her bond with DiBiase forms a crucial link, providing a bridge from the back line to the forwards.
In her second year in the program, Hansen is the linchpin, offering the positional flexibility that makes the Bulldogs dangerous and suffocating in equal measure.
“I am a very technical player and I like to be on the ball,” Hansen said. “I have very good vision, I see the field and I like winning those balls.
“Overall, I think my first touch and athletic ability on the ball are my best qualities.”
Disruptive and physical in the midfield, Hansen has helped Batavia navigate a tough early schedule against elite teams in Naperville North, Plainfield North and Neuqua Valley.
“I know I can trust her at that holding midfielder position when we are under pressure,” DiBiase said. “She is a very tactical player and leader by example.
“Her work rate and efforts to win the ball transfer to other players on the field and motivate us to do the same.”
In many ways, Hansen is a selfless player who sacrifices personal statistics for the team.
As a midfielder in club for Team Chicago, Hansen demonstrated a high-level touch and scoring prowess that put her on the radar for a handful of Division I schools.
She has no regrets.
“I like playing this role a lot because I feel like you’re involved in a lot of the game,” Hansen said. “You can stamp your own point of view and be involved in all different parts.”
Senior midfielder Avery Solomon, who scored a dramatic goal Saturday in 80th minute as the Bulldogs beat Neuqua 4-3, described Hansen as a free spirit and intense competitor.
“Kailey is such a kind and encouraging teammate,” Solomon said. “She is always trying her best to make sure the team is playing at a high intensity level while still having fun.
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“She knows how to control the ball and creates great scoring opportunities. She plays with 100% effort and never gives up. Most importantly, she never fails to make us laugh.”
The game has shaped Hansen’s young life, granting a sense of surprise and wonder.
“Outside the field, I joke around a lot,” she said. “I like to get people to laugh, but obviously I am always ready to go and wanting to win. I’m very competitive.”
For Hansen, the joy comes from playing and feeling alive in the moment.
“The game just brings me happiness,” Hansen said. “Like during school days, when I know we have a game, I am just excited.
“With all the friendships I have made from the sport, there is a special bond you get — and that just makes me love it so much.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
