Junior forward Thanya Castelan creates her own sound effects for Waubonsie Valley.
Even so, Castelan’s actions always speak louder than her words.
“I feel like I impact the team a lot of different ways out there because I’m very vocal,” she said afterward. “I like to push everyone. I like to bring up the energy when we need it.
“I’m also really good and close with everyone on the team.”
Castelan got everyone going Tuesday, scoring her eighth goal of the season in powering Waubonsie to a 4-0 win over Plainfield East in a Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinal game.
Senior forward Taylor Ahmadian also scored twice in the first half for the sixth-seeded Warriors (11-7-2), who play conference rival Naperville North at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the regional final.
Senior forward Eleanor Oster added a goal.
The 5-foot-2 Catelan, a three-year varsity starter, is a dynamo who’s blessed with speed. She showed off that ability with her early goal at the start of the second half.
“My biggest strength is that I’m very fast and I’m able to shoot the ball from anywhere,” Castelan said. “My specialty is having my teammates play the ball to my feet and let me create.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Cecilia Galarza (19) Thanya Castelan (13) and Taylor Ahmadian (17) celebrate Castelan’s goal against Plainfield in the second half of a Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinal game in Aurora on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
The Warriors play an unorthodox formation with four forwards. It allows Castelan, Ahmadian, Oster and senior Cecilia Galarza to create pressure and excitement.
With their track backgrounds, Castelan and Ahmadian know how to utilize space in the open field and optimize the attack.
“Thanya has that great open-field speed,” Ahmadian said. “She’s great at opening pockets that we are able to use to create pressure or get to the goal.
“She is so fast and creates so many opportunities that way.”
More importantly, Castelan plays with a flair and flamboyance, animating her movements and setting the tone.
“If I had one word to describe her, it would be just spunk,” Oster said. “She is that spark.
“She has such an outsized personality, and she really brings an energy and edge to everything she does out on the field that we really feed off.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Lauren Bornhoff (0) makes a save against Plainfield East in the second half of a Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinal game in Aurora on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
The middle of five children, Castelan took up the game at the precocious age of 2, following the path blazed by her father, Antonio.
After his promising professional career was ended by an ACL injury, she picked up the torch.
“Growing up, I did pretty much every sport possible,” she said. “I did track, volleyball and basketball, but soccer was the one I stuck with.
“In that way, I’m the exact same as my father. He’s super competitive, and he always wanted the ball and make plays out there. I’ve been the same way ever since I was younger.”
Since then, she rarely stops or slows down. The game has almost no boundaries for her.
“I think in playing there’s something about the adrenaline that gives me the chance to let out my stress and all of my anger into one thing,” Castelan said. “Everything just comes out onto the field.
“It’s just a way of letting everything out, and it makes me feel a lot better about myself.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Thanya Castelan (13) and Plainfield East’s Isabelle Bustamante-Lopez (6) battle for the ball in the second half of a Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinal game in Aurora on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
Her productivity backs up her colorful manner, and way of playing on the field.
The second-leading goal scorer behind Ahmadian, Castelan also has three assists. She earned honorable mention all-conference recognition last season as a sophomore.
“I feel like my biggest thing is my personality and just bringing that out on the field,” she said. “I bring everybody’s energy up the second I step onto the field.
“I tell everybody, ‘We’re here to win.’ That’s what we want. That is definitely very cool.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
