Soccer has always been the sport for Ichabod Crane junior Abby Dolge. But this year, she’s pulling double duty, playing soccer and strapping on the helmet and shoulder pads as the kicker for the Riders’ football team.

"I love it," Dolge said. "I want to inspire other young women to do the same as me and strive for their goals and try something new."

"We always knew it would be a great fit to get a soccer player," Ichabod Crane football coach Tom Call said. "It didn’t really matter if it was a male or female, and as soon as we saw her kick we knew it’d be a great fit."

Her path as the placekicker was certainly unconventional. Coach Call didn’t know what he was going to do with the position, until Abby walked into the gym one day and coach call decided to pop the question.

"Honestly, I thought he was messing with me, just joking around, but I was all for it," she said. "I’ve always talked about it with my parents about trying it."

The decision to play led to a historic moment. On March 27, she became the school's first female to participate in a game and the first to score, kicking two extra points in 26-22 win over Taconic Hills. And the moment was never too big for her.

"Those were pretty easy. Those aren’t that challenging to me," she said.

"She’s ready at any moment to go out there and perform," Call said. "I think she's good anywhere from 35-40 yards. On turf, maybe even farther."

It's a moment she hopes will continue to inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and try something new.

"Playing a sport that’s dominated by other men and being the only female to do it, I think will definitely inspire women to try sports that are also dominated by other men," she said.

"Very unique and just a great opportunity for her," Call added. "Hopefully it brings out more girls to come out and play for her. We would love it."

Abby hopes to continue her kicking duties for the Riders in the fall.