Little lady, big honors
Being alone in the back of the net and knowing she’s the only thing between a win and a loss might seem like a nightmare to some, but for sophomore goalkeeper Ali Griffin, it’s a passion.
After impressive performances in the past three games, including two straight shutouts, Griffin was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week. This is the first WAC soccer award the team has won this season.
“Ali’s just gotten better and better,” Head Coach Heather Cairns said. “She’s sharpened up technically. She’s just stepped it up and she wants to be the go-to person and make a difference for the team.”
The accolades for Griffin don’t stop there. She was also named to “Top Drawer Soccer’s” National Team of the Week and to the SoccerBuzz.com Elite Team of the Week. Griffin is only the third WAC player to be named to the SoccerBuzz.com Elite Team this season, joining other WAC standouts Nicole Irwin of San Jose State and Fresno State’s Angie Larsen.
Despite snagging three high honors in less than a week, Griffin remains modest about her accomplishments, saying it is a team defensive effort that made these records possible.
“The defense as a whole has worked hard,” Griffin said. “Shutouts aren’t just about the keeper, they’re about the team working hard.”
In only her second year at USU, Griffin has played every minute of the season in the net and made 75 saves on the season. Making flying leaps and diving saves, Griffin is comparable to most seasoned goalkeepers in the NCAA in statistics.
Not only is she making a presence in the NCAA, she’s become a leader in the WAC as well, claiming second place in both saves and shutouts. Griffin is also third in save percentages with .833 and fourth in goals-against average at 0.84.
But as Griffin said, good defense is not about the goalkeeper, it’s about the team. Defensively, the backline has often been a determining factor in games, clearing balls off the line during heavy opponent onslaughts. Griffin said more than anything, this award shows how far the team has come.
Cairns agreed with Griffin, saying, “I was excited for the team to get this honor. I think that’s the nice thing about our group of girls: Ali gets credit for the shutouts, but the four people in front of her really helped her also and she’s the first to share credit with that.”
Griffin has had to fill a large leadership role in the team’s defense, as the defensive line is young. Griffin herself only played two games last season, but has stepped up her level of play to set records at USU.
With a 0.81 career gaa, Griffin claims top spot in career goals-against average chart, topping Megan Mill’s 1.18 gaa from 2001-04.
But becoming a defensive presence is not something that developed overnight. Earlier in the season against heavily favored, nationally-ranked teams, Griffin let by nine goals in just five games. Even though defensive responsibility does not rest solely on Griffin, she said it was frustrating to let those goals slide by.
“It was a little frustrating in the Arizona and Washington games,” Griffin said. “It was a little frustrating and disheartening, but it was progress.”
Progress is something Cairns said she hopes Griffin will continue to make during her career at USU.
Commenting on what she expects from Griffin in the future, Cairns said, “Shutouts every game! I would really look to her to continue her leadership role, to continue her desire to be better and continue on the path to be better.”
Already setting records and with two years left to play, Griffin is leaving her mark on USU soccer history. But Cairns said individual records are not what matter.
“I don’t get too caught up in that,” Cairns said about individual honors. “I want our record and our results to do all the talking. The honors are very great and make you feel good, but at the end of the day our goal is a WAC tournament championship.”
-sethhawkins@cc.usu.edu