Lincoln-Way
“I was really proud of her,” Urbanczyk said. “She’s one of the hardest-working players on our team, and to see her score that goal was amazing because I know how much she’s put into it.
“She deserved it totally.” Hughes was initially unsure if she would be able to play at the start of the season after suffering the second broken nose.
“After the surgery, the doctor was going to not clear me, but we told her, ‘Look, we’ve got games to go to,’” Hughes said. “She said she’d clear me as long as I wear the mask.”
About that mask, Hughes said it’s not the most comfortable but wearing it during games doesn’t cause her any major problems.
“It’s definitely kind of annoying because it does collect a lot of sweat,” Hughes said. “You have to clear it out a lot of times. But it’s not too much of an obstacle. It’s pretty OK.”
Another preseason injury did not turn out as fortunate for the Warriors as senior defender Morgan Sallese was lost for the year on the first day of tryouts, according to coach Joe Stephens.
That resulted in some shuffling on the back line, but the group led by Urbanczyk, Ava Bach, Abby Hermanson and Natalie Esposito certainly got the job done Saturday.
“We really worked together as a whole unit,” Urbanczyk said. “We knew where each other was going, and the teamwork really helped us keep the shutout.”
Stephens, meanwhile, is thrilled to have Hughes in the lineup.
“She’s coming up big,” he said. “She had the confidence to step up and hit that shot. She’s going to have a big role for us this season. I’m really excited, especially since she’s only a sophomore.”
Hughes is certainly grateful to be back, mask or not.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t play, seriously,” Hughes said. “Soccer is a lot of time and commitment, but it’s what makes me happy.”