Zach Attack
August 28, 2008 12:57 PM | General
August 28, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Zach Johnson leads the upstart West Virginia University men’s soccer team against Lafayette in its opening match of the WVU Classic on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Stadium.
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| Zach Johnson racked up 77 saves and a 0.48 goals against average in 2007.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Johnson was an anchor in the net last season, using his 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound frame to rack up 77 saves and a 0.48 goals against average, a single-season school record. His 13 shutouts broke the record of 12 held by heralded goalkeeper Nick Noble in 2005.
Amazingly enough, the Lumberton, N.J., native accomplished the single season feat in just his first year on the field with the Mountaineers. He attributes his learning experience during his redshirt season in 2006 to the success he had in 2007.
“The experience helped a lot being able to sit out that first year instead of jumping into it,” Johnson admitted. “Being able to work behind a great goalkeeper like Nick Noble definitely helped me out. It got me to learn the system, learn the players and learn what was in front of me.
“Having a senior defense playing in front of me was a big help. They took the brunt of the organization and kind of guided me along, and that is what I have to do with this freshmen line. I think experience from year one to year two is definitely the big thing that got me through.”
Johnson will see quite a transformation from last year’s squad to the team that third-year Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc will lead in Friday night’s contest. Jason Bristol returns as WVU’s lone starter on the back line, while experienced players Donald La Guerre, Ryan Gillespie and transfer Kyle West look to give the defense a boost and maintain good communication with Johnson.
Although the 2008 Mountaineers show an incredibly youthful lineup, there is still a feeling that they can challenge to remain atop the BIG EAST and utilize their immense talent in taking down some of the conference’s top contenders.
“The main goal everyone has on this team is to be in Dallas in the Final Four,” Johnson commented. “We are going to be flying under the radar for most of the year because not many people expect us to do much because we lost such a big senior class.
“We definitely have the talent to make it to the Final Four in December and definitely win the BIG EAST. We are going to be a good team and can challenge anybody we face, so I think this team can accomplish a lot; a lot more than people expect.”
Individual accolades have highlighted Johnson’s young college career. He was honored with the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week award last season on Sept. 10 and Oct. 15 after earning shutouts against No. 6 Maryland and Georgetown as well as a sterling performance against conference rival Pitt.
The praise continued for Johnson as he earned BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week and was a member of both the Soccer America and CollegeSoccerNews.com National Team of the Week. But the young net-minder is conscious of his team’s accomplishments more than collecting any individual awards.
“I think that’s something that I expected of myself, that I could live up to,” Johnson said of his individual achievements. “Accolades don’t really mean much to me per se, it’s more of what the team does. It’s nice to have, but most of those things I can attribute to my defense last year.”
Johnson and team co-captain Ryan Chance staged a competitive battle for the right to earn the starting goalkeeper job during the preseason. Although Johnson accomplished so much last year, LeBlanc made it clear that no starting position is secure as that tactic helped to avoid complacency and mediocrity in everyday preparation for the season.
Johnson relished the challenge, going against a great friend and a highly-respected team leader who pushed him to the limit. The BIG EAST Academic All-Star remains appreciative of Chance’s efforts in making him a better overall player as he heads into the home opener with a high barometer.
“It was great competition,” Johnson said. “Dirk is a great goalkeeper, and the competition is good for us both - it pushes us both everyday. He’s an excellent person to go up against.
“Dirk and I are friends off the field, and when we’re on the field we definitely try to beat each other in every little thing we do and every little drill. It’s definitely good to have someone like Dirk there pushing me everyday. I know without him I wouldn’t be near where I am today.”
Another thing that will push the Mountaineers this season is a difficult schedule. Playing in the competitive BIG EAST offers plenty of challenges, and a tough non-conference slate boasts a plethora of quality opponents such as No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Ohio State.
But Johnson believes the team should display its tunnel-like focus and take it one game at a time.
“We can’t look too much ahead. Our first game coming up is Lafayette and that’s who we’re looking to prepare for. Right now, none of the other games are really in our minds.
“With such a young team we have to keep our concentration high for this game, so that’s what we’re really looking forward to,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we will come out with a good performance Friday night.”
