When a new face takes over a program, it can be an uneasy feeling for both the coach and the players.
The players of the old guard look within their ranks for a source of leadership, and luckily for Northwood’s girls soccer team, they didn’t have to look too hard to find one.
Two years ago, Cory Dilbeck started manning the sidelines for Northwood. The Timberwolves’ coach recognized his surefire pick for captain right away.
Danielle Solaru, the forward that Dilbeck would dub, “a woman amongst girls,” took the team by storm. She became the example for others to follow, and player and coach cultivated a relationship of mutual respect.
“To recognize that you have a player like Dani as soon as you walk into a program, it’s just special,” Dilbeck said. “It’s not just her level of play, but it’s her work rate, her leadership, and her ability to make everyone around her work even harder. That’s what sets her apart from everyone else.”
The Timberwolves won their first league title in seven years in Solaru’s junior season. This year, Solaru said winning the Pacific Coast League became an expectation, a stepping stone to loftier goals her team largely achieved.
For elevating her team to new heights, Solaru has been selected as the Register’s girls soccer player of the year.
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ALL-COUNTY GIRLS SOCCER
• All-County girls soccer: First team
• Girls soccer player of the year: Danielle Solaru, Northwood
• Girls soccer coach of the year: Greg Aviles, Yorba Linda
• All-County girls soccer: Second, third teams
• 2015-16 All-CIF girls soccer teams
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Solaru had 30 goals and nine assists, but it was her commitment to the defensive end that led the Timberwolves to several impressive accomplishments. Northwood held an 11-game shutout streak, which spanned an undefeated Pacific Coast League run and the first round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
“This year, she did quite a bit more defending, and she had to,” Dilbeck said. “That’s what kept us in some of the bigger games that we played. She was the one that if (the opponent) had a special player on their team, we would make sure that Dani was the one marking her on set pieces and on corners.”
The pressure on Solaru mounted when talented midfielder Talia Teltscher went down with a sprained MCL on Feb. 4.
“I almost started crying because I knew what an important role she played on the field,” Solaru said of Teltscher. “Everyone kind of took it upon themselves to be responsible and to work that much more for Talia.”
In six games without Teltscher, Solaru found the net five times. She scored four goals in Northwood’s run to its first CIF-SS Division 2 championship game.
Solaru said the pinnacle of the season was the team’s redemption game against Oaks Christian of Westlake Village. The teams met for the second straight year in the quarterfinals of CIF, and this time, the Timberwolves earned a 3-2 shootout victory on the road.
“I think that it was probably the most emotional experience that I’ve had in high school soccer,” said Solaru. “Afterwards, when we won in PK’s, I don’t think that there was a girl that wasn’t in tears. We were all so happy.”
Her encore performance came in the semifinals, as Solaru scored twice to lead the Timberwolves past ML King of Riverside, 3-2.
Palos Verdes defeated Northwood, 3-2, in the final.
Solaru will continue playing collegiately at Auburn.
