Ethan Goldberg was ready to experience a different side of his favorite sport when he shifted his focus from club soccer to Lake Zurich’s team before his junior year.

But his plan to play for the Bears for the first time was thwarted.

“I was looking forward to playing high school soccer last year,” Ethan Goldberg said. “But I suffered a back injury last summer playing in a tournament. I couldn’t run, basically.”

He was diagnosed with a pars fracture in his spine. His father, Ben, said it was a dramatic experience for the entire family.

“We were devastated to learn his recovery was a nine-month process with a low likelihood for full healing,” Ben Goldberg said. “The mental and emotional impact was very hard. But Ethan persevered and found new clubs at school and other activities to keep his competitiveness.”

Ethan Goldberg has finally brought that competitiveness to Lake Zurich this season. The senior forward is one of the top scorers in the North Suburban Conference with 13 goals.

His ability to find the back of the net has partially offset the loss of star forward Ian Ferguson, who graduated after scoring 22 goals and being named the conference’s offensive player of the year last season.

“Ethan is having a pretty amazing season,” Lake Zurich coach Mike Schmitz said. “He has a high motor and never stops running.”

Ethan Goldberg’s successful transition has helped the Bears (11-3-2, 4-1-2) win the conference title for the first time in “more than 10 years,” according to Schmitz.

“He’s stepped right in and fit in,” Schmitz said. “He’s a great teammate, and we didn’t have to say anything to him before the season.”

Getting to this point wasn’t easy, however. Following the injury diagnosis, Ethan Goldberg said he couldn’t engage in any physical activity until he was cleared to start swimming after six months.

“I couldn’t really do anything,” he said. “I could just stretch. I started swimming to get back in shape. I watched as much soccer as I could, hung out with my friends and supported them in their various sports.

“It was hard because I’ve always been really active. I was playing so much that I fractured my back, and it broke down over time. I don’t have a lot of patience, so it was hard not playing.”

Ben Goldberg said his family tried to lift Ethan’s spirits with a soccer-focused vacation.

“We tried to stay close to the sport with a trip to England to see some games to keep positive morale and a forward-thinking mindset,” Ben Goldberg said.

In the end, Ben Goldberg said the experience brought the family closer and solidified Ethan’s love for soccer.

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“Throughout the process, we took more CT scans than required to see his progress and look into the future,” Ben Goldberg said. “As parents, we were so excited and proud to see him return to the field this year and have success with Lake Zurich.

“Looking back, this obstacle helped Ethan grow as a person and not take for granted the opportunity he has to play soccer.”

Ethan Goldberg said he started preparing for this season by working out with his father and younger brother over the summer. He slowly regained his form.

“At first, I didn’t have any endurance,” Ethan Goldberg said. “But I kept going and training to get it all back. I like to say I’m better than before.”

He knows what he missed.

“Being out so long, I have more passion for it,” he said. “I’m so happy to come back and still get to play high school (soccer) and go out there and play for my school and town and have fun.”

Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.