Got to catch them all: the life of a Samo goalie

Francine Rios-FetchkoBianca GonzalezGoalies use their quick wits, fast reaction time and any part of their body available to them to defend the goal at all costs. As they stand in front of the net ready to dive at any moment, they are focused on the attackers’ every movement, trying to stay one step ahead of them.A goalie’s position is like no other on the field; their training, capabilities and specified skills differ from every other player — a fact that Samo boys’ and girls’ varsity goalies Madeline Kresin (’17), Stevie Lamb (’14), Sarah Lipshy (’14), Josh Lettiere (’14) and Eric Stocker (’14) can all testify to.“The back four and the goal keeper have to be all in sync with each other,” boys’ soccer coach Andy Rock said. “We are lucky to have two goal keepers who are really competitive.”The relationship between a goalie and the players requires trust on both sides for the team to be successful. The goalies have to trust that they will be protected by their defenders and believe that their teammates will be able to get the job done on the other end of the field. In addition, their teammates have to trust the keepers and not be afraid to play the ball back to them to incorporate them into the play.“[Goalies] are the last line of defense,” Lettiere said. “It’s our responsibility to communicate with the rest of the team and let them know who to make up and make sure teammates are in the right position to defend, telling them when someone is pressuring them and where to pass the ball.”Above all, the most unique aspect of being a goalie is the pressure that comes along with being the last line of defense.“People think that being a goal keeper means there is a lot of pressure on you, but personally I thrive off of it,” Lipshy said. “It keeps me focused and [helps me] make sure that I am always working hard.”According to all five keepers, a large part of being a goalie is anticipating other players’ actions, which means they have to be constantly thinking and aware of what is happening.“My sophomore year, the ball was cleared by the other team, and a through ball was played past my defense,” Stocker said. “I had to charge out to around half field and go into a one on one tackle with their forward for the ball. I won the tackle, and was able to clear the ball, allowing my defenders to recover.”Not only do keepers have to be able to handle the pressure of being the last defender, but they have to have quick enough reflexes to be able to react to the fast pace of the game.“Goalies have this almost sixth sense and we just see things before they happen on the field so I think that helps us give direction to the players,” Lamb said.Although most people think that goalies have to be tall with a wide arm span to be skilled, two of the goalies on girls’ varsity, Kresin and Lipshy, are no taller than 5-foot-4 and are still able to cover the eight foot by 24 foot goal.“Goalies have to be able to catch or dive for the ball even with people running full speed at them,” Kresin said. “One of my former coaches always said that as goalies, we have to force ourselves to have a short-term memory. We have to move on quickly from mistakes and goals scored, and be ready to face the next shot no matter what.”According to Chapman, the most important skills for a keeper to have are leadership, hand-eye coordination, agility, a quick first step and tenacity — all of which set them apart from the rest of the team and make their position so unique.“[Goalies] have to be a little bit crazy in the head, because they’re going to get hit a lot, and people are going to be physical and they have to be able to sacrifice their body,” coach Jimmy Chapman said. “They could be considered the quarterback of the team; they are the last line of defense and they dictate how our defense plays.”

friosfetchko@thesamohi.com

bgonzalez@thesamohi.com