Alex Martin and Gabriel Pinkalla, the varsity and junior varsity goalkeepers both share a love for the sport of soccer and the uniqueness of their position.

They are both 16 and in their junior year. These two goalkeepers have been playing soccer for quite some time. Gabriel has been playing soccer for just about three years and Alex has been playing for a total of 11 years. They both have very different reasons for why they got into the sport. Gaberiel said that he got “peer pressured” into playing by friends and Alex said that he was “just looking for some kind of sport or physical activity.”

Before Gabriel and Alex became goalies they played different positions. Gabriel played mid-field which he somewhat enjoyed and Alex played more of the defensive positions which he enjoyed before both ended up playing keeper.

Gabriel didn’t like running but could jump really high so goalie was a good fit for him. What led Alex to the keeper position was the uniqueness and the importance of the position. They both said that keeper was very different from the other positions they had played: “It’s a whole different game in the net,” said Gabriel.

Alex said the most difficult aspects of goalkeeping for him are “breakaways,  how it’s so difficult to know whether to come out or not, or if a shot is coming and if you have to dive to save it.”

Gabriel said the most difficult part of playing goalie for him is the ‘the sheer guilt of making a mistake and getting scored on because of it.” Still, despite the challenges, they both love their position for its uniqueness and the rush they always feel when they play it.