Penalty shot pressures goalies
Right or left?
That's the decision running through a field hockey or soccer goalkeeper's mind when facing a penalty shot.
When a referee in the penalty area calls a foul in soccer, the ball is placed 12 yards away from the goal, leaving little reaction time for a goalie to make a save.
Soccer coach Tony DiTucci said most shooters aim to the side they are most confident in.
"You should pick a way to go ... and basically guess," DiTucci said. "It will give you the best chance to make the save."
Some goalkeepers have certain mindsets when trying to figure out where the shot will go as the shooter addresses the ball. Reading body language often can provide a tip for a goalkeeper on where a shooter's ball may travel.
"Sometimes you can read the direction by the way they place their foot or by the way their hips are pointed," said sophomore goalie Kristen Hubright.
DiTucci doesn't necessarily think the pressure is all on the goalie. A penalty shot is a pressure-packed situation for all involved, he said.
"I would say the pressure is on the shooter because the shot is so close," DiTucci said. "You expect them to make it."
Field hockey coach Cristy Freese said a penalty stroke is awarded when a foul in the circle occurs and prevents a sure goal.
While the shot in soccer is from 12 yards out, a field hockey penalty stroke occurs just seven yards away from the goal.
Assistant coach Molly Maloney was a goalie for the University of Michigan where she was a member of the 2001 National Championship team and posted a 29-8 record in her career.
Maloney works with CMU's goalkeepers and said she knows how intense a penalty stroke can be.
"You have to forget what just happened leading up to that play," she said. "Clear your mind and prepare your body for an all-out explosion toward the ball."
Just like in soccer, a field hockey goalie looks at how a shooter approaches the ball to determine the direction of the shot. With the stroke taking place at such a short distance, a decision has to be made quickly.
"There's not much time to react," said freshman goalkeeper Melinda Curran. "You watch the girl's stick and make a decision and go with it 100 percent."
A one-goal advantage is huge in low-scoring sports such as field hockey and soccer. A penalty shot often could be the deciding factor in a close game.
Maloney said when a goalie makes a save during a penalty stroke situation, it can be a difference-maker and provide momentum to the rest of the team.
Hubright said one thing she tries to do is look big and intimidating to psych out the shooter and come up with the save. And when a save is made, she said, the feeling is like no other.
"It's usually a pretty big rush," Hubright said. "I try not to react too much to it, but it's a pretty intense feeling."
sports@cm-life.com
