Junior Hannah Hake was used to the long hours her soccer career required of her; the blood, sweat and tears were a part of the game, one in which she had worked hard to stand out in. Hake had seen injuries happen before, but had never been taken out of the game for this long. On July 7, Hake experienced a life-changing injury: a torn ACL.

Hake has been playing soccer since first grade, with her friends and her dad as the coach. Now, she has been a left and right winger for the DGS varsity girls soccer team since her freshman year, and plays at the Evolution Soccer Club in Naperville. Before her injury, Hake would practice every day with her DGS team and three days a week with her club team.

“It gives me something to do when I’m tired, or mad, or angry or sad. It’s a good way to de-stress when there’s always something new to learn, even the older I get,” Hake said.

Girls varsity soccer coach Chris Hernandez has watched Hake grow since her freshman year, and recognizes how much she has positively affected the team.

“She comes in trying to set the standards to help raise the level of herself and those around her. So I think in that sense, she’s a competitor,” Hernandez said.

Hake has proven herself to be a leader among her teammates, and this has not escaped the view of her coaches.

“She has natural leadership abilities, and she doesn’t really realize it. She leads by example. She is a strong, silent, quiet type, but what she does is she puts forth a work ethic that enables others and herself to find success,” Hernandez said.

Now, with her injury, Hake has replaced soccer practice with physical therapy. She received knee surgery on Aug. 12, and since then has been deep in her recovery journey.

“I know other girls who have been injured who have gotten scholarships and stuff pulled from them, but I’m hoping that doesn’t affect me in the future. I’m hoping I can come back even stronger,” Hake said.

Hernandez nodded solemnly while discussing Hake’s injury, knowing going through an injury in Hake’s position is not easy.

“Anytime you lose a player, any team loses a player, it’s hard. You have a lot of challenges that go on about replacing certain skill sets and mentalities and leadership…I know [Hake] would probably have it no other way than supporting who that next player up would be and giving any advice and leadership that she can to help them find success,” Hernandez said.

Since July 7, Hake has come a long way in her mission to get back on the field.

“I’m ahead of schedule. I can bend my leg 140 degrees now, and I can walk without crutches finally, which makes my life a lot easier. And I’m hoping to be back in seven months, which is a little faster than normal,” Hake said.

Hernandez shared how he thinks Hake will change the team once she’s healthy and playing again.

“Once she gets back, it’s going to be about how she gets others in the game. You know, others are going to be starting to understand their own dynamics…those chemistry components…{it’s about] imposing herself on the game, so that way that chemistry, those interactions, can just kind of thrive at the next level,” Hernandez said.

Hake is hopeful about the progress she has made, and is eager to get back in the game.

“I want to win every single game, score a bunch of goals, get some good highlight tapes and be even better than before I was injured,” Hake said.