May 11, 2023
The midfield position in soccer is vital to the team’s success. Yet Shayna Da Silva makes it look easy. In the Kits’ home thriller against New Trier, she traps a bouncing pass mid-stride, maneuvering past her defender to strike a high powered shot at the goal.
Boasting a powerful shot, incredible awareness and seamless passes, Da SilvaDa Silva is the complete midfielder. All of this is only dutifully enhanced by her speed and fierceness on the opposing side.
“I have a good vision of the game and always try to get the team in a rhythm that will help us keep the ball and succeed,“ Da Silva said.
Starting at JahBat FC, then moving to Chicago Fire FC, she now plays for Eclipse SC, a select club for college prospects. At the high school, she was selected for varsity as a freshman but opted to join sophomore year. Since then, she has proven invaluable and joined a community she cherishes.
“Some of my closest friends are my teammates, and I love getting to meet girls from other grades that I generally wouldn’t have ever met if it wasn’t for ETHS soccer,” said Da Silva, expanding on what makes this team so great.
Tenacity is the driving force behind Da Silva’s success, and it’s served her well. Since she was five years old, Da Silva has been an avid soccer player, even making the Varsity team as a freshman. She opted not to play that year though, because of her commitment to an elite league. Last year, she was a crucial piece in Evanston’s run to the state semifinals and has only proved more valuable this year as the Kits overtook New Trier for the first time.
“[We] had never beaten New Trier before [during my sophomore year] and winning a game against them felt like such a big accomplishment for the team and myself,” said Da Silva.
Next year, she will play for the DePaul Blue Demons with teammate Jordin Kadiri. As she moves forwards with her career, excitement is inevitable.
“I look forward to experiencing a new level of competition and learning the standards of college soccer,” Da Silva said “I am so happy to be able to play with some of my teammates next year and get to carry on some of my youth relationships into college. It’s always nice to have a friend that you know and can count on when it comes to being in a new environment.”
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