Photo Credit: Bergen Record
Kristen Eckert remembers all the details. So does River Dell girls basketball coach Lou Wejnert.
It was Saturday morning, Oct. 30. Senior Day for the River Dell girls soccer team in a match against Fort Lee.
Eckert, a defender by trade, had moved up front in a bid for a little offense just before the end of the first half. She kicked the ball and her right foot got caught on the artificial turf.
“She goes down like she was shot,” said Wejnert, who was at the game. “I’ve seen plenty of girls hurt their knees that way, so even from far away, I knew it was bad.”
Especially since Eckert, the heart and soul of one of the toughest basketball defenses in North Jersey, had a history of problems with her right knee.
“Last summer, I tore my MCL and the second this happened, I thought, ‘There goes the knee,’ ” Eckert said. “It was weird. I knew it was the end of my soccer season, but the biggest question was basketball season.”
No one needed to tell Eckert that opening night was 49 days away. The Golden Hawks were going into the season as the team to beat in North 1, Group 2, and Eckert desperately wanted to be along for the ride.
And over the next six weeks, Eckert showed just how much she wanted it.
The 5-foot-11 Eckert’s sprained knee was placed in a big clunky brace, and she began physical therapy three days after the injury. She went to physical therapy three days a week at 6 a.m. before heading to school.
On off-days, she worked out in her home gym after school and got fitted for a smaller ACL brace that would allow her more mobility.
“There was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to play,” Eckert said. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything. Not for anything. Any girl on this team would do the same thing I did.
“We have a chance [to reach the State final]. That’s a once in a life chance, and I want to be part of it when it happens.”
All of Eckert’s hard work paid off. Not only was she in the opening night lineup for the Golden Hawks, but she’s played almost every minute since as River Dell, ranked No. 9 in the North Jersey Top 25, has won 12 of its first 13 games.
“She’s the energy,” Wejnert said. “She’s the motor for this team. She gives us 32 minutes of a little bit of everything.
“She knows every play. She’s always asking, ‘Why don’t we try this?’ or ‘Maybe we should switch the defense.’ And this is really her second sport.”
Eckert’s defense-first mind-set is a reflection of River Dell’s style. She has long arms and she’s very quick, so she can cover a lot of territory.
Eckert is averaging seven points per game — Wejnert says she should score more — to go along with three assists, nine rebounds, five steals and three blocks. Not a bad night’s work when you put it all together.
“Defense first and then score,” said Eckert, who had 28 points, 33 rebounds and 14 steals in her last three games. “That’s how I was taught, and that’s how I’ve always played. Same as in soccer.