Senior forward Abi Edwards doesn’t like to apply the brakes to her game for Batavia.
She possesses not just an instinct but a flair for scoring goals, and she’s also not the type to back down from any opportunity to take advantage of the situation in the offensive third of the field.
“Personally, for me, my first thought is always how can I get to the goal,” said Edwards, a Wheaton recruit. “I love to score, and that’s always my initial bias whenever I get the ball.
“How can I score or how can I get somebody else to get there?”
Edwards was the somebody who got the Bulldogs there Thursday night, scoring three goals and contributing an assist in a 7-0 nonconference victory over visiting Streamwood.
So far this spring, Edwards has produced five goals and three assists for Batavia (2-1-1). Freshman goalkeeper Amy Serna made five saves for Streamwood (0-3).
The fast start for Edwards is both welcome and deeply satisfying, marking her complete recovery from an ACL injury she suffered in her left knee during her freshman season for the Bulldogs.
“The injury was really hard for me emotionally because I just love to go, go and go,” Edwards said. “I went from playing three, four or five days a week to being out for nine months.
“I was just sitting around and watching, and that was really hard.”
Edwards spent her sophomore season on the junior varsity, allowing her body the time to heal while developing her skills and getting her timing and rhythm back from the layoff.
It was a triumphant return because soccer is an essential part of her identity.
Her father Troy, who played at Wheaton, also coached at the school and most recently directed the women’s soccer program at Aurora University.
Her other talent is music. Abi, who plays guitar, sings at Batavia-area restaurants and the local farmers market. She performs cover songs of Taylor Swift and pop numbers.
Last season, Edwards also sang the national anthem at one of Batavia’s girls soccer games. Music and soccer are a natural connective thread for her.
“I like to play creative,” she said. “Whether that’s playing one-on-one or trying new things or trying different techniques when I’m scoring.”
Junior forward Natalie Warner, meanwhile, scored her first goal of the season during Thursday’s first half. She said Edwards has a natural leadership style that empowers the rest of the team.
“Abi really contributes to the team in many ways,” she said. “She makes great passes, and she’s a really good shooter who can finish from anywhere.
”It was great to see how hard she worked to get back. She makes other people work just as hard. You see how hard she plays, and I want to do the same, like a ripple effect.”
Senior midfielder Sarah Koziol, who also scored during the first half, entered the program at the same time with Edwards.
“I am very glad to have her back,” Koziol said. “After the injury and playing down kind of slowed her down a bit, but she really picked it up last year.
“Now, it’s easy to form those connections again, and we have that chemistry coming back this season. We’re the leaders of Batavia soccer, and we get to do a lot of things together.”
Edwards scored seven goals last spring in her return to varsity competition.
“I think physically I was back sooner than a lot of people thought,” she said. “I had the opportunity to play at a very high club level leading into my junior season. T
“The high school game is a lot different, a lot faster and a lot more physical.”
The game has become both a sanctuary and a comfort zone for her.
“I just feel like it’s my happy place,” Edwards said. “I step onto the field, and I just feel I can have everything, be free and be what I want to be.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
