Before junior defender Kelly Dopke scored the improbable last-second goal against Boise State Aug. 25, there was a buzz in the Kibbie Dome. It was the first game the Idaho soccer team played in the Dome and it was in front of record-setting attendance.
The Vandals prepped for the free kick. A large, roaring Idaho crowd set the scene. Time started to tick and the unlikely became reality.
“(Boise State) thought they had won the game at that point, but it only takes one second to score a goal, as you can tell,” Dopke said.
That moment against the Broncos was intended for Dopke. Headers and other set pieces are one of her many responsibilities to the team, said head coach Derek Pittman. Dopke said filling that role is something she looked forward to doing when she came to Idaho.
“Being able to recruit and get Kelly, we knew she had the potential to step in and compete,” Pittman said. “Her timing and heading ability, the courage and commitment it takes to sell out for head balls, it’s a big asset for our team.”
In her freshman year, Dopke said it was the will to be great that motivated her to show out and take a starting spot on the field. Pittman said coming in, there was a spot to be filled at center-back.
“In order to earn the respect of my teammates, I knew I had to work as hard or harder than them,” Dopke said.
Working hard is something Dopke said she is more than accustomed to, and she does it both on and off the field.
Pittman said Dopke is the type of person to stay after practice to put in extra work or watch film. On top of her hard work on the field, she also brings home impressive grades each semester.
Before bringing her hardworking mentality to the Vandal soccer program, Dopke said she was on the verge of signing with the University of Louisiana Lafayette, though things did not feel like family.
Dopke later received an official visit to Idaho, and she said it was obvious the team was the perfect fit for her.
“The players on the team paralleled the type of player I am — a hardworking player who is willing to sell out for her teammates,” Dopke said.
Pittman said she is committed and dedicated to everything she does, and the team is no exception. He believes she is always working to achieve her full potential.
Potential can only go so far, which is why Dopke said she follows the Vandals’ team values every time she steps on the field.
“Heart and hustle. Ohana and excellence,” she said. “Those are our core values.”
The values have not only driven Dopke since joining the Vandals, but they were found in her upbringing as well. Even if they weren’t immediately apparent, the values were certainly applied to her game at Idaho.
Growing up, sports and competition took a greater meaning to Dopke and her family. She is one of five siblings and her dad would occasionally coach them on the same team, she said.
Dopke said she started playing around the age offive or six. From then on, soccer was her sport. She competed at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, California.
Rather than settling for mediocre at the high school level, Dopke said she pushed herself and became a key player the last two seasons.
Dopke is a leader for the team but especially on the defensive unit. She said she understands the impact she has and always follows the Idaho way: defend as a team.
“We defend as a team. If we can defend correctly, we can attack properly. The defense starts the attack,” Dopke said.
Attacking is one of the strong suits of this Idaho squad. More often than not, they find themselves in shot opportunities provided by none other than Dopke and the defense.
Although she plays a major role on the defense, the team looks to utilize Dopke in attacking situations as well, Pittman said
“She’s a big target for us, and she is so good in the air,” Pittman said. “We’ve done it since she was a freshman.”
In each of Dopke’s first two seasons, Idaho has recorded a conference title. Dopke said there’s no doubt in her mind that the team is capable of bringing home another.
“There is no team in this conference who can stop us,” Dopke said. “A repeat is definitely in the future if we keep doing what we are doing.”
Zack Ozuna can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @OzunaZack21
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