Naples sophomore VaNae Filer takes a shot on goal against Vicenza in the championship game of the DODEA-Europe Division II girls soccer tournament Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

No matter where, no matter when, Naples’ VaNae Filer couldn’t escape the yells from opposing coaches and benches.

“Watch out for No. 17!” “Watch out for VaNae!”

These lines seemingly played on loop during the 2024 DODEA European girls soccer season as teams tried to clamp down on the sophomore Wildcat.

And she handled them as anybody else would: starting with annoyance and irritation before seeing it as a badge of honor.

“At first, it was definitely frustration because I felt like, how can I even do anything if I just can never get the ball?” Filer said. “I managed to make it work and became used to that, taking that as a compliment rather than getting frustrated by it. I just kind of had fun with it.”

Not that those warnings helped the competition this spring.

Stars and Stripes’ 2024 DODEA European girls soccer Athlete of the Year couldn’t be stopped. Filer amassed 30 goals – four more than her freshman campaign – en route to leading the Wildcats to a perfect 13-0 record and a second-straight Division II European crown.

Naples dominated opponents with a goal differential of plus-59, helped by allowing just four goals all season. But Filer played a key role, scoring in all but one match for the Wildcats.

And in the season’s biggest match, she delivered one of her best performances. Filer scored a brace in a 4-1 victory over Vicenza in the final, showcasing her signature speed, quick reactions and knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Her first goal came off a free kick she earned, deflecting in a ball from teammate Emma Heavey. She sealed the match in the second half by blitzing the Cougar defense after receiving the ball 40 yards from the net.

“Seeing her as a sophomore really step up to that leadership role was special to see,” Naples coach Alyson Parenteau said. “This year when it came time for Euros, we needed (her) to be that voice on the field that told people to pressure, where to be. (She) stepped up a lot between just ‘play my position’ to ‘play my position and look out for what’s going on for the rest of my team.’”

Stepping into the leadership void wasn’t the only change for Filer between her freshman and sophomore seasons.

The 5-foot-7 striker found other ways to contribute as defenders crowded around her. She set up teammates with a few assists, and her coach even decided to drop Filer into the midfield at times to give her more room in which to operate.

Filer resisted it at first, but she eventually understood her coach’s wisdom.

“The first time I told her that, she went, ‘Coach, I’m not so sure. Coach, I don’t think this is a good idea. Coach, this is not going to work,’” Parenteau said. “We said, ‘Just try it. Give it 10 minutes. If it doesn’t work, we’ll change it back, but try it for 10 minutes.’

“I think at minute eight, she scored. So, she was like, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of space out here.’”

Naples' VaNae Filer managed to avoid hitting teammate Ava Williams with this shot on goal Wednesday, May 22, 2024, while missing an opportunity to score her fourth goal of the match during the DODEA European Division II girls soccer championships at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Filer added a few more weapons to her arsenal, too.

The coaching staff focused on improving some of the more technical aspects of her game, including having her practice headers and even bicycle kicks to give her more options during matches. The coaches also emphasized long-range shots, especially if Filer were to drop deeper on the field.

One of the biggest changes was the work on her weaker foot. Filer only shot with her primary right leg during her freshman season, but she put in the effort to become more comfortable with her left.

The result: While the player and coach don’t know how many goals were scored with her left, they acknowledged the paths it opened.

“I remember last season, everybody kept on telling me, ‘Oh, you would be so much better if you used your left (foot),’” Filer said. “That was one of my biggest accomplishments this year, getting more comfortable with my left and not automatically switching to my right foot when shooting.”

Getting better with her weaker foot is one of the major focuses as she heads back to California following her father’s retirement from the Navy. Filer also mentioned learning to shoot the ball quicker against defenders she can’t blow past in the States.

If her time in Naples has shown anything, she’s ready to rise to that challenge.

“It’s a positive experience,” Filer said of her time in Italy. “I feel like over these two years, I’ve developed as a player and a person.”