By Bobby Narang
The Lockport High School girls soccer team is undergoing a massive roster turnover this spring.
But the Porters are keeping their sights set on another double-digit winning season.
Junior midfielder Yurida Hernandez, a Bowling Green recruit who has scored over 22 goals in her first two seasons, is slated to take on a bigger role this season. Meanwhile, senior defender Hayden Spodarek, a Wisconsin-Parkside recruit, is aiming for all-state status for the second year in a row. The Porters also welcomed back senior forward Julianna Reyes and senior goalie Olivia Luecke.
“We’re very young, but we have some talented returning players,” Lockport coach Todd Elkei said. “We’ve been working hard trying to replace some of last year’s players. We have four returning starts. Yurida is going to be one of the best players. The sky is the limit for her. Hayden is a four-year varsity player, while Yurida is a three-year. Hayden provides great leadership and has a great attitude. Both are hard workers and been awesome.
“We’re looking to find people to make a difference. We don’t have a lot of forwards in our program. With their club teams, most of them play midfield. We’re trying to get people to play other positions. It will take some time, but we will be fine. The attitude of the girls has been great. They’re like sponges. They listen and their eyes are on you and are willing to learn. They are a driven group to succeed and good kids.
The Porters have been a consistent force in Chicagoland over the last decade, winning 18 games in each of the last two seasons after posting a 21-3-1 mark in 2023 and a 16-7-1 record in 2022. In all, the Porters have won 10 or more games every season since finishing 7-6-2 in 2015.
But the Porters have seven freshmen and three sophomores on their roster this season.
“We’re trying to piece things together,” Elkei said. “The last couple of years we set a really good legacy for these girls to follow. The freshmen have seen it. They have to drive to make a commitment to get back to that level.”
Hernandez said the Porters, who lost to Marist in penalty kicks in their last game, have some players adjusting to different roles this season. Ava Kozak, a freshman at Marquette, was the face of the program for the last few seasons, recording 25 goals last season to finish with an all-time program best of 49 goals in just two seasons.
Now, Hernandez is slated to be the main offensive threat for the Porters.
“I think it’s very early in the season, but our last game was very upsetting,” Hernandez said. “I think we have a lot to develop. Obviously, we have a very young team, so it will take some time to develop and improve. We have to get the freshmen involved with the juniors and seniors.
“I think mentally I’m more prepared this year. Last year was very chaotic, but this year I feel more at peace. I’m just happy to play for the team again this year. I’m excited for this season.”
I think we had a lot of changes on our roster, playing a different style and have a lot of players from different clubs, so that might help us a lot.”
Senior midfielder Makenna Klacko, a three-year varsity player, is another player slated to be a primary player and leader for the Porters.
“I’m excited stepping into more of a leadership role this season,” Klacko said. “We have a bunch of freshmen coming in, so I have to help and be a person they can go to like I was helped when I was their age.
“I feel this year I’m more confident in myself from having that experience and trying to be a voice on the field that I wasn’t last year.”
Spodarek sparked the defense last season, helping the unit finish with 11 shutouts, while she made three goals – all game winners – and tallied nine assists.
“The backline is playing a little chaotic, but we’re getting used to playing with each other,” Spodarek said. “Most of us have never played with each other because so many freshmen are starting. This team is all friends, so that makes it better, but the years ahead look good because we are very young. I think talking is a lot, for me, is important to lead the team and help all the freshmen because they don’t know what to expect.”