Duran lifts game to lofty Heights
BB&N star set to go play for BC
CAMBRIDGE — Kayla Duran didn’t recognize the phone number, other than it was coming from the Michigan area.
Once Duran answered it, she was extended an opportunity many girls can only dream of.
The Woburn native was invited to train as part of the United States under-17 women’s national soccer team. For a 15-year-old sophomore midfielder at the Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School, it was the proverbial offer she could not refuse.
“I’ve been to a couple of their camps and it was an amazing experience, one of the best I’ve ever had,” Duran said. “Going there and meeting new people from all over the country, knowing how much passion there is everywhere for the sport is amazing.”
A two-sport standout (ice hockey and soccer) at BB&N, Duran gets many of her athletic genes from her parents. Her father Jim is the athletic director and her mother Lori was a threesport star at Utica and later coached at the college level.
Given the fact Duran will be playing soccer at Boston College, she has leaned heavily on her mother for advice.
“My mom has been my biggest supporter through everything,” said Duran, who was recently selected to play in the High School All-American Game in December. “When I was born, she was coaching at Bentley. I grew up on the field and knew all of her players as if they were a second mom to me.
“I always loved soccer from the start. I’m a competitive person and being involved with a team was something I liked a lot. My teammates are some of the best people ever.”
A starter since her freshmen year, Duran was the MVP of the Independent School League last season, registering 17 goals and five assists in leading the Knights to a 9-3-6 record. Coach Graeme Blackman raves about Duran’s all-around skills.
“Kayla is definitely one of the most dynamic players I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching,” Blackman said. “On the ball, her technique is excellent. Her field vision in the game, I’ve never seen anything like it at this age. What’s rare in girls soccer is someone who likes the physical battle and she loves the physical battle.”
When you combine those skills, it’s easy to see why Duran was one of the more heavily recruited players in the area. Duran has picked up where she left off last year, scoring 13 goals in nine games as the Knights head into the home stretch with a 5-1-3 mark.
As much as Duran relishes a good scoring opportunity, she is equally excited to deliver a perfect pass to a teammate for a goal. Blackman thinks this is why his senior midfielder is going to be able to pay immediate dividends at The Heights as a freshman next fall.
“I don’t think she’s going to have any problem stepping in and playing at Boston College.” Blackman said. “I would expect that she is someone who will be an impact player right away. She loves competition and she’s only to grow with more competition.”