In Sunday’s Big Ten quarterfinal match against Northwestern, IU sophomore Colin Webb was forced to put that preparation to the test.
Typically goalies try to remain focused on stopping opponent’s shots, blocking off other potential distractions. However, in the sixth round of penalty kicks, a sudden death round, Webb was called upon to take a penalty.
Webb stepped up to the spot and converted. Then, he walked to the goal, turned and tipped a penalty shot off the crossbar to give IU a 1-1 (5-4) win in penalties, sending IU to the Big Ten tournament semifinals.
“It’s psychologically great to have that,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “On any run to a championship it’s not that uncommon to have a couple of ?penalty scenarios.”
Webb said he was prepared for taking a penalty, and he knew if it came to a sixth round he would be called upon.
“Obviously we want to take care of a penalty shootout in the first five,” Webb said. “But once I realized that I was up next I knew I had to take care of business.”
It is not unusual in college soccer to see goalies take penalties, Yeagley said. He also said goalies have a better understanding of how to hide where you are going to try and place the shot, given their experience saving penalties. Northwestern senior goalkeeper Tyler Miller converted a penalty in the fourth round Sunday.
IU senior Dylan Lax said Webb consistently converts on penalties taken in practice and that the entire team was confident he would convert.
Webb had also stopped two of the four penalties he had seen so far this season. This left a feeling of confidence with the rest of the IU team that if they converted their penalties, Webb would come up with enough saves to win.
“It’s great because the guys waiting to take PKs know they have a big force behind them in goal who’s going to help them out,” IU senior Dylan Lax said. “That’s really positive and great for us because we have all the confidence in Colin to make those saves.”
Yeagley said he believes this match was important for his team for many ?reasons.
One of these was the conditions in which the match was played. At Northwestern the field sits next to a lake, often resulting in heavy winds.
“The wind at Northwestern is a really difficult element,” Yeagley said. “We were certainly hoping that it wouldn’t be windy.”
The wind caused many long balls to hang in there longer than usual and forced both teams to change the way they would normally play. Yealgey said the experience playing in challenging and unfamiliar conditions will help his team later in the postseason.
Something else IU can take away from Sunday is experience in a penalty shootout.
Yeagley said every championship run he can remember has required IU to win at least one penalty shootout along the way.
“It’s just a good confidence boost heading into next week,” Yeagley said. “There’s nothing like that feeling of being on the edge and to come out on top.”
