The natural pull of coming home tugged at the heartstrings of St. Charles North’s Kyra Treanor.
A senior central defender, Treanor spent the past two years playing club soccer. But she wasn’t about to pass up on a special opportunity to suit up for the North Stars, starting in the fall.
“I was excited to come back,” she said. “I played volleyball last fall, and I really love the community and everything. This is a great group of girls, and I’m really proud of what we have accomplished.”
Those accomplishments continued to add up Friday night.
Treanor’s active and disruptive defense helped the North Stars to a 1-0 victory over Fremd in the Class 3A girls soccer state semifinals at North Central College in Naperville.
St. Charles North (18-2-5), which ran its unbeaten streak to 12 games, will play at 6:30 p.m. Saturday for the state championship against New Trier (24-2-4), a 2-1 winner over Edwardsville.
Senior forward Laney Stark scored in the 14th minute and sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Korioth made four saves as the North Stars earned their fourth shutout of the state playoffs.
On top of that, Treanor was heady, composed and stable in neutralizing Fremd’s attack. The Brown recruit earned significant praise from senior midfielder Kayla Floyd.
“She’s a brick wall in the back,” Floyd said. “I trust her so much. It’s very calming to know if a ball gets behind me, she is going to be back there to get it. She gets everything.”
The 5-foot-8 Treanor blends size, a physical presence in the box and a strong feel for the game. She credited her involvement in volleyball, where she was a setter and right-side hitter.
”There’s a lot of communication and just hard work with both sports,” Treanor said. “With soccer, I just like being able to hold on the back and organize. Then, when the opportunity presents itself, I like to dribble and build the attack.”
Treanor, who has three goals and two assists this season, takes special pleasure in what she does as a stopper.
“Against a team like Fremd, with a lot of excellent goal scorers, I really love shutting them down and moving girls out,” Treanor said. “Not letting them get anything is what I love best.”
After playing with the North Stars as a freshman, Treanor took the typical route and focused on club to maximize her recruiting visibility. Her return to the fold has been pretty seamless.
“Kyra has always been a North Star,” St. Charles North coach Brian Harks said. “Even though she wasn’t with us for those two years, she still maintained close friends with the players.
“I’m super happy she decided to put on a jersey this year. She’s been fantastic in the back. She has been a leader and dynamic playmaker when needed.”
If offensive players tend to monopolize the narrative, defenders bring a solidity and structure to how a team plays.
It’s a state of mind.
“I’ve always liked being able to defend,” Treanor said. “There’s not always a lot of recognition with what you do. It’s great to be part of the back. We cover for each other.
“We like to say there are no islands, and we just support and be there for one another.”
Off the field, Treanor take part in arts and crafts. She spends a lot of time drawing flowers.
“At least with me, she is very bubbly and happy,” Floyd said of Treanor. “She’s also very funny, and we crack jokes all the time.”
In the fall, Treanor toggled between club soccer and high school volleyball and took AP classes.
Her final high school appearance is going to be the North Stars’ first state championship game since 2012, when the North Stars lost in four overtimes to Naperville North.
Treanor, and her teammates, are ready.
“What I love about the sport is the hard work and effort that it takes,” she said.
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.