The dull thud of the ball smacking the board at the back of the cage was a signal for everyone to stop. Everyone, that is, but Kahler, who reached down, grabbed the ball and ran back to the center of the field, signifying that it was she who nudged it past the keeper.

In a game often decided by a single stroke, finding a way to finish around the cage is a valuable skill. For Lisbon High School’s Kahler, the mission is two-fold as she enters her final varsity season: Find the back of the net, and help everyone else on the front line do the same.

“She’s good, she’s being really patient, she’s a good leader,” Lisbon coach Julie Petrie said. “She’s one of our captains, and she’s helping mold the younger girls, teaching them where to go.”

It’s Kahler’s job on the front line, by default — she’s the lone veteran presence for the Greyhounds on the attacking line.

“Last year, we had a scrappy group,” Kahler said. “We had the same forwards together for three years, and now I’m the only one left. I love the new girls on the front line, I think they’re eager to learn, but they’re still learning.”

Kahler is also still learning — a new position. Traditionally an outside wing, Kahler suffered an injury in the offseason and rehabbed all summer. She missed the team’s preseason, and felt like she’d lost a step.

“I was on the wing, ” Kahler said, “but I missed most of summer and all of preseason. I talked to Coach, and I didn’t think I was playing to my full potential on wing, because you have to sprint to post, and I just couldn’t get there, no matter how fast I was running. I talked to (Petrie), and I moved to the middle.”

“Poor thing missed all of preseason,” Petrie said. “I’d like to say she’s at full speed, and she is, but she’s still coming back from it, too.

“With the different strengths we have up front, she’s moved from a wing to an inner. She has to take more control over the circle. I know she’s frustrated at times that she’s in a different spot, but she’s doing well, and she doesn’t show it.”

Aggressive by nature, Kahler has embraced the move.

“Our forwards are pretty young,” Kahler said. “I like that I can get rebounds instead of just sitting on post and waiting for things to come.”

Beyond controlling the circle and the set plays on penalty corners, Kahler has helped the front line form an identity, and a shape.

“It’s just learning where to be, the shape of our forward line, when to be on post and when to be on stroke,” Petrie said. “They just have to learn to move a bit better.”

One difference Kahler had already noticed between a veteran team and a younger squad? The learning curve is steeper this season.

“It’s actually really good having a younger team,” Kahler said. “When you have an older, experienced team, you can tweak little things here and there, but the growth is a lot smaller. When you have a younger team, you see the growth in leaps and bounds. We’ve already improved so much from our first couple games.”

With Kahler kicking up dust on the front line, the Greyhounds figure the improvement has only just begun.

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