Lauren Dufoe has different position, same level of excellence for CPU girls’ soccer

SOLON — In the span of a year, Lauren Dufoe has gone from fiercely preventing goals to deftly scoring them.

After two highly-successful high school seasons at goalkeeper, the Center Point-Urbana junior has returned to her more natural position in the midfield.

'It's been really fun,' Dufoe said after scoring two goals in a 5-0 victory for the Class 3A third-ranked Stormin' Pointers over Solon in a Wamac Conference match Tuesday at Spartan Stadium. 'My teammates make it easy. They talk to me all the time. The transition, honestly, wasn't anything. It was a lot of fun.'

Midfield was the primary position for Dufoe in both youth soccer and with her FC United club team. Once Dufoe reached high school, CPU Co-Coaches Todd Mitchell and Rich Plante had a void at goalkeeper and tabbed her to fill it.

The result was two first team all-conference honors, a spot on the 1A honorable mention all-state team as a sophomore, and two trips to the state tournament.

'The story the first few years was, 'What did the team need?'' Dufoe said. 'We all just tried to fill a role.'

The move to the midfield should increase the number of collegiate soccer options for Dufoe, who has set her sights on playing after her 2020 high school graduation.

'We want to honor that,' Mitchell said. 'We could certainly use her in the net and we have got a fantastic backup goalie (junior Carlie Foltz, who has surrendered just two goals this season), so we said, 'Let's let her play the field and take advantage of it.' She has been having a lot of fun. It is a lot of fun to watch that girl.'

Forward Blasi Whitehead got the scoring started for CPU (7-2) in the sixth minute, while Dufoe and junior Emilie Brunko tacked on goals a minute apart for a 3-0 CPU lead in the 15th minute.

Dufoe and Whitehead each added goals in the second half. Dufoe has four this season, while Whitehead leads the team with seven.

'I feel like we have been doing really well,' Dufoe said. 'We are really coming together well.'

Solon is now 4-6.

Girls' soccer

AT SOLON

Class 1A No. 3 Center Point-Urbana 5, Solon 0

Goals —

Blasi Whitehead 2 (7), Lauren Dufoe 2 (4), Emilie Brunko (1).

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com