Last year the UCLA women’s soccer team was so thin at
goalkeeper that coach Jill Ellis nearly had to put ads in the Daily
Bruin to find a backup goalkeeper before she finally settled on
softball catcher Emily Zaplatosch to give her team some added
depth.
This year, the Bruins are deep and talented at goalkeeper with
highly touted freshman Valerie Henderson starting in net while
senior Sarah Lombardo and sophomore Arianna Criscione work to
regain the starting spot they each held during last year.
For right now, Criscione appears to be the primary backup to
Henderson due to Lombardo’s longer than expected recovery
from a dislocated kneecap suffered last October against Cal.
“I’ve been coming back slower than I’d
like,” said Lombardo, who is uncertain whether she will ever
return to full strength. “I’m not really sure what 100
percent is going to be for me now.”
Meanwhile, Criscione has also had to comeback from setbacks,
most notably her disastrous game against North Carolina in
UCLA’s season ending 3-0 loss in the NCAA semifinals.
Criscione’s miscue on a back pass to her resulted in an
own-goal, helping solidify the eventual national champion’s
stranglehold on the game.
According to goalkeepers coach Katherine Mertz, Criscione has
improved from last year, especially with her feet.
“She’s working on her game but she has made a lot of
improvements since last year with her distribution and
handling,” Mertz said.
Criscione agrees with Mertz’s assessment.
“Compared to last year, I’ve improved
ten-fold,” Criscione said.
But despite the improvements, Criscione has only played in one
game this year, a 6-1 blowout against UCSB.
Lombardo had been a solid starting goalkeeper for nearly a year
and a half before her career was put into jeopardy by the
dislocated knee and damaged cartilage she suffered.
“Lombardo brings leadership on the field and off the
field. She’s very clean technically and knows her back
line,” Mertz said. “We’re trying to get her
healthy with her knee but when she is healthy she brings a sense of
calmness in the back.”
Meanwhile Henderson has started every game, a bit surprising
considering the nature of the position. Goalkeepers and their
coaches stress subtleties such as positioning, decision-making and
knowing your defense, all attributes that favor experienced
goalies. However, Henderson, despite her youth, does have plenty of
experience with high level soccer.
She has played with the Under-17 and Under-19 U.S. national
teams and her club team in high school finished second in
California’s state cup.
But Mertz admits that Henderson still needs some experience
playing with her teammates and learning the speed of college
soccer.
“She needs to understand the pace of the game has changed
from high school,” Mertz said. “Reading through balls
is another area she can improve in.”
Henderson agreed with that assessment as well.
“I haven’t fully adjusted but I think I’m
adjusting well,” Henderson said.
But Mertz is quick to acknowledge Henderson’s good
qualities in goal.
“She’s loud and communicative,” Mertz said.
“She’s good with the counterattack and her distribution
and she’s technically clean.”
These qualities help explain why she has earned the starting job
despite her inexperience.
“Right now she’s performing well,” Ellis said.
“I think she’s the best out there.”
While Henderson has earned the starting spot for now, she may
not keep it if her form suffers or if Lombardo’s knee
recovers. Criscione and Lombardo both want their spots back and
have been working hard.
“I’m going to train hard and try to get it
back,” Criscione said.
Lombardo also would like to gain the starting goalkeeper spot
again, but her injury may preclude that from happening.
Nevertheless, she is enjoying just spending time with the team.
“Being with the team is a real treat,” Lombardo
said. “I want to get back in, but it is also about knowing
what is best for the team.”