Issaquah Eagles senior midfielder Conner Hughes is his team’s first line of defense on the soccer field.

Hughes, who plays center defensive midfielder for the Eagles, relishes the opportunity to not only be a force on the defensive end but contribute to the Eagles high-octane offense.

“I love that spot. I have played that position for the last three years. I would definitely say physicality is my best attribute as a soccer player. I find myself a lot of times using my body to shield the ball away from players or slide tackling to get the ball,” Hughes said. “I enjoy high school soccer because there is a lot more opportunities to be involved on both sides of the ball.”

Eagles’ head coach Kyle Tatro said Hughes’ cerebral approach to the sport stands out in his mind.

“Conner has got a style about how he plays. You recognize him really quickly when he’s on the field,” Tatro said. “He is the rock in front of our two center backs (defenders) and is really good at winning balls in the air.”

Hughes is a proverbial master of strategy with the ball on his feet.

“His game is so savvy and is about twists, turns and finding avenues,” Tatro said of Hughes. “Its cool watching him play. He has got a defensive mindset to the game and can distribute the ball well from the midfield position. Conner plays a big role and brings intangibles and leadership qualities to our team.”

The Eagles, who advanced to the Class 4A state tournament in 2014, have gotten off to a rocky 4-4 start. Hughes expects things to change for the better in a hurry.

“I think we really just need to focus on becoming a unit rather than being just a bunch of individual players. We’re getting there. We’ve played some really good opponents so far which is going to help us down the road. In our loss yesterday (Issaquah lost 2-1 to Inglemoor on April 2) we had a much better performance,” Hughes said.

The senior team captain is savoring every moment he can with the Eagles in the final two months of his high school soccer career. Hughes will play collegiate soccer for Cedarville University in Dayton, Ohio next season.

“I know as we get toward the end of the season it will set in more. I remember last year all of the seniors talking about how it was their last game of organized soccer and how sad it was but that hasn’t hit me yet. I’m sure it is going to hit me when we get to the elimination stage of the playoffs,” he said.