Bella Diorio is used to playing defender for her club team. So, she’s still adjusting to moving to forward as a senior in her first season for Lockport.
The scoring part, however, has not been a challenge for Diorio. It’s the spotlight that she’s still getting acclimated with.
“At club, I play outside defense and I assist a lot,” Diorio said. “Scoring is very new to me. It’s fun, but it’s a little uncomfortable with all the praise and everything.
“I enjoy it, though. Clearly, they think I’m somebody who can do that for the team, so I’ll do whatever I can to win.”
Diorio, a TCU recruit, earned some more accolades Tuesday. She scored her ninth goal of the season as the host Porters and Lincoln-Way Central played to a 1-1 tie.
Natalie Zodrow had the assist on Diorio’s goal for Lockport (6-1-1) in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover.
Lila Hadley scored off an assist from Madi Watt, while Sofia Jumes made five saves for the Knights (6-0-2).
It was the second matchup in 12 days between the teams following Lincoln-Way Central’s 1-0 shootout win in the Windy City Ram Classic championship game.
Diorio scored the tying goal Tuesday with just over five minutes left in the first half, beating Jumes to the ball in the air and heading it past her.
It was the type of finish Lockport coach Todd Elkei has quickly grown accustomed to seeing Diorio produce.
“When she’s that quick and has that touch and she’s that savvy and has all that know-how, you just put her out there and say ‘go for it’ and try to stay out of her way,” Elkei said. “She sees the field so well. She’s composed. She’s aggressive when she needs to be. She’s one of the fastest kids I’ve seen out here.”
Diorio said she’s gained a greater belief in her abilities in recent years. She’s looking forward to living out her dreams at TCU.
“I always wanted to go play at a big school like that,” she said. “A couple years ago, I started to gain a little confidence and was like, ‘OK, I could actually do this.’
“It’s exciting. It’s a little nerve racking, but it’s soccer and I’ve been playing it forever. I just have to go out there and do my thing and it’ll be fine.”
On the other side, the undersized Hadley fought her way into the box and headed in Watt’s free kick in the 13th minute.
“She’s someone who’s not afraid to put herself in harm’s way and get involved in contact,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Sean Fahey said of Hadley. “She’s not the biggest. Those Lockport girls are big, strong and athletic, and she battled with them all day.
“She put herself in the mix with the intent to go win that ball, not just be around it. That was huge.”
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Hadley is used to battling against bigger players.
“I’ve always been taught that even if you’re not the biggest player, you can always play as the biggest player,” she said. “Play big instead of be big. I feel like most of the time my size is an advantage for me because people don’t expect me to win the ball in the air or I’ll draw fouls because they like to push me around a little bit.
“I feel like I’m tough and I can handle that.”
Hadley’s older sister, Alexa, was an all-state goalkeeper for the Knights last season but decided to play club only this spring. Lila and the Knights are still thriving.
“I’m really proud of her,” Lila Hadley said of Alexa. “She made the best decision for her. I miss her, but we’ve got Sofia in there and she’s doing great.
“We’re still doing great as a team, so I’m happy.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
