Valparaiso’s Will Donley is on a roll.
The sophomore forward has scored at least one goal in five straight games. His streak began during the Vikings’ regular-season loss to Crown Point and continued when he scored their only goal in their win against the host Bulldogs in a Class 3A sectional championship game last week.
It also started when Donley shifted to the wing from center forward, where senior Mason Arthurhults has moved.
“It was really interesting,” Valparaiso coach Mike Enghofer said. “It’s not something we planned for. It was a combination of (Donley) being keyed in on and trying to get him in a more isolated setting, but also finding a guy who could do interesting things in the role Will was in and adding to our team.
“It ended up being a really good adjustment for us twofold. We got Will into an area of the field he could be even more dangerous than we initially thought, but we also got a guy up top in the middle where Will was who added a whole new dimension to how we could play and the way we could create chances. It was an interesting move late in the season, but it’s definitely been paying dividends.”
Donley has increased his season totals to 21 goals and nine assists for the Vikings (10-9), who won their first sectional title since 2012 and will play Munster (14-3-1) in a regional semifinal at home Thursday night.
Arthurhults recognizes the difference Donley has made.
“Our attack runs through him, whether it’s checking down and receiving the ball and going one on one, or being faster than his defender, or winning the ball,” Arthurhults. “He wins headers. He’s a very big aspect to our attack. It would be a lot different if we didn’t have him.”
Donley has embraced the position change.
“We decided to let somebody else eat up the center backs,” he said. “Let me go 1v1. I’ve done pretty good. The team’s done pretty good. It’s been working.”
Indeed, after formation and personnel changes during the course of the season, the Vikings have kicked into another gear.
“We had a rough start, or rough middle third of the season, and we just hung in there day by day,” Donley said. “Everyone hung in there and was committed to being a part of the team.
“It was good to stick with it. We struggled for a few games where we were losing by a lot and not playing good. We hit a rough patch, and we all put our heads down a little bit. It would’ve been easy to give up. But it was nice to see us fight back and get some good results. We found our right style and our right identity.”
The result has been a breakthrough for the tradition-laden program that won the state title in 2004 and reached the state semifinals two other times. It had seemed somewhat unlikely.
“We’ve been floating around .500 all season,” Enghofer said. “We’ve taken our fair share of losses, gone through a little bit. But that’s what’s a little bit magical about the energy now because we’ve had some of those trials and tribulations.”
Donley has continued to make strides after recording seven goals and two assists at center forward as a freshman. He played a complementary role to then-senior Isaac Siewin, who had 27 goals and 12 assists last season.
“I was doing the dirty work for Isaac, trying to create for him,” Donley said. “It was a good learning experience, playing under him and with him. I learned what it meant to be a Valpo attacker and what I had to do in the offensive half.”
Donley has learned his lessons well.
“The biggest thing is his maturity as a player,” Enghofer said. “He plays with the confidence of a guy who’s been playing at this level for a long time. To be a sophomore and to take the chances he does and do things with the confidence he does, that sticks out.”
With a win against Munster, which is ranked No. 13 in the 3A state coaches poll, Valparaiso would play either No. 10 Concord (14-2-2) or South Bend Adams (12-6) in the regional final at Penn on Saturday.
“We’re buzzing to play in the regional,” Donley said. “I think we have a lot left in us — a lot more season, a lot more games, a lot more training. I’m excited for that, and the whole team’s excited for that.
“The sectional win was great, but it’s time to flip the page because we’re a good team and we can fight with anybody.”
