Ever wondered what it would be like to put yourself in a goalie’s shoes?
Varsity’s starting goalie, senior Noam Still, has been playing soccer for 10 years but just started goalkeeping last year. As a kid, he started playing soccer at the YMCA with his friends due to his parent’s encouragement. He still looks back on the experience fondly, for it started his soccer career. He then started playing with a lot of his current teammates. “It’s like a big group of friends,” he said. When in the goal, Still observes the field and communicates with his team. He looks to see where he needs to be and where his defense should be to ensure a goal is not scored by the opposing team. As the goalie, he knows that he is the team’s last line of defense, and the pressure that comes with that is no easy feat.
The key for Still? “Composure,” he said. “Is one of the most important qualities of a goalie.”
It can be hard to let go, but over time, Still has learned to deal with the weight of being a goalkeeper and he uses his competitiveness to improve himself each game. So far in the season Still have saved over 50 goals
Senior Joshua Jackson has been playing soccer ever since he was a little kid. He’s one of JV’s goalies and the varsity backup goalie. Jackson played goalie when he attended elementary school in University City, and once he started at Brentwood, he stopped goalkeeping to play other positions but went right back after a volunteer goalie was needed and he’s felt confident in that decision since. Jackson practices every day to improve his skills. Like Noam Still, Jackson has also learned to deal with the pressure of being a goalkeeper.
“I feel like sometimes it’s my fault, [when the opposing team scores] but I know I have to pick myself up and tell myself that I got it next time. Or sometimes I just breathe.”
Having played goalie for Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic School’s CYC team for 5 years, freshman Bohdi Torno had plenty of goalkeeping experience. Originally, Torno ended up in goal due to his asthma because being a goalie required a little less running than playing a field position. But since then, he has embraced the position and has continued playing by choice. Torno is one of the JV team’s goalies. He recognizes that both varsity goalies are seniors and will be graduating next year, so Torno wanted to step up. Torno heavily relies on analyzing the field and using his ability to see the whole field to his advantage. “I have to look at my position and see where I am. If I’m too far out and sometimes I look behind to see the posts and see if I’m centered to where the ball is coming from,” said Torno. Torno enjoys the closeness of the team, saying; “We put each other down sometimes, but we know it’s just for fun. We’re always there for each other, no matter what happens.”
Another one of JV’s goalies is freshman Miles Davenport. Davenport has been playing since he was six years old and living in Sierra Vista, Arizona. In 2017, his family moved to Saint Louis due to his mother’s contracting work, and he continued to play soccer here. Davenport works hard to improve his skills and confidence and he excels in figuring out where he needs to be standing in goal. “[When in goal] I think about the situation and I try and see what I can be doing better,” said Davenport.
Come see our boy’s soccer team play away at St. Pius X! Varsity at 4:30 and JV at 6:15!
