Coaching Rider girls soccer for almost over three decades means Carl Wiersema has depended on dozens of goalkeepers.
Before seniors Allie Vasquez and Savannah Skelton came along, Wiersema had only one goalie who’d played all four years.
Vasquez and Skelton have been key members of the team since they were freshmen and are now senior captains for the Lady Raiders.
“They’re at the top of the list. I have had all-state goalies in the past, but I never had a keeper be an all-state goalkeeper three years in a row,” Wiersema said of Vasquez. “We’re blessed to have two great keepers.”
Vasquez and Skelton have been with the varsity soccer program since they were freshmen in 2020. They’ve been a part of two district titles, seven playoff wins and a trip to the regional finals last year.
“It feels good getting to be on the team and enjoy everything that’s been there for the past years and see it grow,” Skelton said.
Vasquez has been an all-state goalie for three years, and Wiersema believes she has a chance of doing it again this season.
Vasquez and Skelton started the goalie position at different ages. Vaszquez began when she was in sixth grade, while Skelton played in the position since she was 10 years old.
On the field the relationship between the keepers are competitive, but the girls keep all that aside off the field. Both keepers said they are close friends, they support when the other goalie goes in and they both cheer one another on.
“We’re really close,” Vasquez said. “I wouldn’t say normally two keepers compete, but we kind of push each other to be better and cheer each other on.”
The goalie position is more than keeping balls out of the net. The keepers have to dive to save goals and use their strong legs to make a big punt for the people up top.
Goalies play a huge part in the outcome because one save could win a game and one mistake can lose a game.
“If we could keep the ball out of the net, we’ve always got a chance every game,” Wiersema said. “Our keepers come up with great saves that help us build momentum and allow us to stay in games longer.”
Many memories were made as years have gone by with all the players and coaches, however both Vasquez and Skelton have different favorite memories.
Vasquez’s favorite Rider memory was playing with her older sister Ruth her freshman and sophomore year. Allie will join her sister next year too because she has committed to Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Skelton’s favorite Rider memory was when it was her freshman initiation and the cops had showed up as a part of the prank and handcuffed her. She didn’t know it was a prank so she had started bawling her eyes out from it.
As they are the last goalies to ever play at Rider, both keepers are excited to be the final keepers to close it out and it feels like an honor. They are also sad because they are ending a legacy, but they hope they set an example for the next goalies at the new schools.
