Sure, Hanover Central’s Kiara Desiderio likes to watch soccer.
But Desiderio didn’t enjoy having to watch three games in particular during the first two weeks of October 2023. That’s because she wasn’t supposed to be watching them. She was sidelined for the Wildcats’ postseason after suffering a fractured clavicle.
“I was just sad because I wasn’t able to help my team,” Desiderio said. “It was very different not being on the field.”
Fortunately for the Wildcats, the senior midfielder is back on the field for the new season. Desiderio has been the team’s leading scorer throughout her career.
The Valparaiso commit had 45 goals and nine assists last season, when Hanover Central (15-4) won its third straight Class 2A sectional title. She scored a career-high 61 goals as a sophomore and 52 goals as a freshman.
“In my 15 years, I’ve never seen a kid strike the ball like her,” Hanover Central coach Jim Pattison said. “It’s uncanny how she hits it. And most of the games we play, she’s drawing two marks, but she still finds a way to put the ball in the net.”
Hanover Central senior midfielder Sarah Pena said Desiderio’s vision is one of her strengths too.
“She’s very good at seeing the field, seeing the play and seeing what’s going on around her,” Pena said. “In any moment, she can see the entire field.”
Just don’t expect Desiderio to talk about the qualities that set her apart as a player.
“She’s not someone who’s going to brag, even though she’s amazing,” Pena said. “She’s a really good team player, really passionate and really humble.”
Desiderio’s passion for the game was on display as she chased down a long pass from a teammate during the first half of the Wildcats’ 2023 regular-season finale against Munster on Sept. 30. But she got sandwiched between two defenders and suffered a fractured left clavicle.
The pain didn’t come immediately, Desiderio recalled.
“My adrenaline was still super high, so I got up and took the free kick,” she said. “But once I couldn’t lift my arm up, I knew something was wrong.”
Desiderio missed Hanover Central’s postseason run, which ended in a regional semifinal against West Lafayette for the third straight season. She was sidelined for three months, and boredom became her toughest opponent.
“I wasn’t really able to do much,” she said. “I was just sitting around on the couch. I knew that we just had to wait until it got better. Once my doctors released me, I played in a game the next day.”
Desiderio has hardly stopped since, playing soccer through the winter and spring, and she verbally committed to Valparaiso in April.
Between her travel soccer commitments, Desiderio said she spent the offseason honing her footwork and practicing long-distance shots. She’s aiming for a new career-high in goals and a postseason run that doesn’t end in the regional semifinals.
This time around, Desiderio intends to be on the field, where she transforms from a soft-spoken teenager into a goal-scoring machine.
“She puts those cleats on, goes out on the field, and it’s on,” Pattison said.
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
