Dependable goalkeepers keep their teams in every match

For any soccer coach, having a dependable goalkeeper is a luxury. Finding that one guy who can make all the routine saves and maybe one or two diving stops is something that gives a team a chance to win every night.

Smithville and Waynedale’s boys teams have that stopper as both the Smithies’ Luke DeRodes and Waynedale’s Neal Brewer have not only anchored the defense, but also etched their names into their respective school record books in the process.

Earlier this season DeRodes shattered the program mark with his 20th shutout, making him the program’s all-time leader, while Brewer joined his Wayne County Athletic League counterpart with his 20th clean sheet to put himself atop his school leader board.

Leading by example

There’s something to say about a player who brings a consistently tough approach to the pitch on a daily basis.

No, DeRodes doesn’t bring a hard hat and lunch pail to every match, but it’s his ability to set the tone for the rest of the backline by the way he goes about his business that has helped the Smithies to all the success that has come their way.

“Luke embodies our team,” Smithville coach Dave Zimmerly said. “He is a hard worker that shows up to practice early. He does the little things, keeps a positive attitude in the eye of adversity and makes winning plays. Luke has grown as a leader this year.”

He has allowed just seven goals in 14 matches, good for a 0.50 goals-against average, with 10 shutouts to his credit as the Smithies enter the first full week of October with a 10-4-1 mark.

Not too shabby for a keeper who is in just his third year in the sport.

But it’s his never-quit approach that has helped him to those numbers — and to earn the trust of a talented backline in front of him in Aaron Meech, Josh Yates and Quinn Maibach.

“Luke has great hand-eye coordination, he pays attention to his angles and puts himself in position to make saves, and he has grown technically,” Zimmerly said. “Luke works hard at improving in training on a daily basis and is a very coachable player.

“He has taken steps forward this year in communicating and controlling his box, and our defenders have been integral in him continuing to gain confidence and assume command.”

The competitor

Sure, no one enjoys losing. To Brewer, however, every setback just fuels him even more for the next time he steps on the pitch for a training session or match.

And instead of being over-the-top with his intensity, the goalie has used that energy to make sure the Golden Bears — with a roster loaded with underclassman getting their first taste of varsity competition — are in the right position to be successful.

“Neal has always been an intense competitor, but this season he has channeled this to be a leader both on the practice and game field,” longtime Waynedale coach Larry Cerniglia said. “His leadership this year has enabled our young and rebuilding team to maintain an even keel as we go through our ups and downs.”

Despite just four victories for the Bears, it’s the play of a savvy veteran in Brewer that has allowed the team to learn and grow throughout the fall.

In that time, however, the keeper has posted a 1.96 GAA and averages around seven saves in shot-on-goal attempts per contest.

But it’s his leadership as an upperclassman, along with fine-tuning those skills in the offseason to go with athleticism, that Cerniglia believes has been key.

“Neal makes saves that keep us in games,” the coach said of Brewer, who has three shutouts this season. “He usually makes two or three sure-goal saves in a game that keeps us in the contest.

“He has always had the physical tools. He has good size and strength and amazing reflexes and has now refined his technique to make him the defensive force he is.”

And while the senior won’t have a chance to win a county championship in his final prep season, the impact he has on the future of the Waynedale program will be felt for years to come.

“Our team is young and developing,” Cerniglia said. “Neal and the other upperclassmen have handled themselves in an exemplary fashion in our up-and-down season.”