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2026 NewsTribune Girls Soccer Player of the Year: La Salle-Peru’s Vicky Tejada · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Twenty twenty six newstributing Girls Soccer Player of the Year,
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  LaSalle Peru's Vicki Tahada, written by Kevin Schlum. This article
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  is being read by an automated voice brought to you
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  by Everlet. Vicki Tahada grew up playing so soccer with
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  her cousins at family reunions and parties, but she did
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  not join an official team until she was in sixth grade.
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  Despite the late start to organize soccer, Teyata was a
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  strong player from the start. I was pretty good right
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  off the bat, only due to my speed, Tahada said.
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  Because of my speed, I would beat a lot of
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  players and I would just score. I'm a very aggressive player,
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  so that helped a lot. Tahada soon joined the Astro
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  Soccer Academy out of Mendota and continued to improve. I thought,
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  if I really loved the sport and I really tried
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  and I kept practicing, that I could get to where
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  I wanted to be and catch up from all those
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  years that I missed, Tahata said. Tahada did more than
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  catch up. She became a standout high school player. As
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  a senior at LaSalle Peru this spring Tahada scored an
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  area best twenty five goals to go along with seven
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  assists to help the Cavaliers to eleven wins. She was
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  voted Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All Sectional and
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  All Interstate eight Conference for all she accomplished this season.
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  Tahata is the twenty twenty six News Tribune Girls Soccer
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  Player of the Year. Tehata is the third lasal Peru
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  player to earn the honor, joining Sabrina Pool twenty eighteen
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  and Danika Scoma twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four.
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  Vicki was dominant this year. LP coach Kristin Papas said
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  it was an incredible season where she was our top
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  goal scorer and tied for most assists. Vicki is the
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  definition of a player who elevates her entire team. I
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  am excited to see her continued growth. Tahata started the
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  season strong by scoring both goals in a season opening
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  two zero win over Mendota. In the fourth game of
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  the season, she scored five goals in a win over Streator.
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  For me, dribbling, keeping the ball close to me and
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  then exploding with my speed helps me be able to
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  get good shots on goal. Takata said she kept scoring
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  all spring. Her greatest strengths are her vision, work rate,
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  and pure attacking instinct. Papa said she is a clinical
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  finisher who excels at creating her own space on the field.
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  Besides finishing on goal, Tahada contributed in other ways in
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  the midfield for the Cavaliers. Beyond scoring, VICKI controlled the
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  tempo of the game and elevated the play of everyone
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  around her. Papa said. Tahada also brought key intangibles to
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  the Calves, providing leadership and playing with what Papa's described
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  as incredible passion. After LP managed just one victory last season,
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  Tahada organized her teammates to play indoor soccer into calb
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  over the winter. The Calves made a ten win improvement
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  this season. I was very nervous about how this season
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  was going to go due to last season, but I
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  knew it was going to go better, to Hada said,
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  I made an indoor team so we could get some
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  extra practices. I feel like that helped us connect way
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  more and our bond as a team has gotten way better.
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  Tehata will continue her career at Aurora university. It means
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  a lot to me, knowing that I started so late,
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  Tajada said about playing at the next level, I just
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  can't wait to see what it brings me. Papa's expects
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  her to succeed at Aurora. I believe she can make
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  an immediate impact at the next level, especially if she
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  is both supported and challenged. Papa said, she's a fierce
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  competitor who never backs down. Aurora is lucky to have
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  her