Lose and you’ll be in the spotlight. Win and you won’t get nearly enough credit.
That can be the life of a goalkeeper. For IU senior goalkeeper Colin Webb, it has been a bit of the latter.
Following IU’s 1-0 win Saturday over Penn State, Webb completed his seventh shutout of the season. Without some of the big saves he made, it may not have ended as it did.
“Colin has been called on a little bit more this year to make the big save,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “Thank goodness the deflection didn’t find its way ... Colin is playing with a lot of confidence. The guys in front of him feel that. He can make a big save when we need it, and tonight he did that.”
IU has been plenty unlucky this season with deflections. Saturday was a different story, however, and Webb was there when the Hoosiers needed him.
It was in a span of about two minutes that could have changed the game. Penn State really started to settle in and get a few good chances.
First in the 64th minute, Penn State midfielder Pierre Reedy fired a left-footed shot that Webb had to sprawl out for to his right. He was able to get a fingertip on to keep it out. Not even two minutes later, Webb was called into action again. This time he saved Penn State midfielder Dayonn Harris’ attempt on goal.
“They had a couple good attackers,” Yeagley said. “We would have liked them to get free a little bit less, but you have to make some saves from time to time, and that’s his job. He did a nice job tonight.”
IU was looking to bounce back after a disappointing result Tuesday, and Saturday night was a “different season,” as the team calls it. With it being a conference match, getting a result was vital as the two teams came in with the same amount of points in the standings.
Webb, like any senior, has one final shot at something special, and this is a season that still holds a lot of promise. Even though things haven’t always gone their way, they still have a good track record to build off of.
“The mentality is the same every single game,” Webb said. “We’ve had some unfortunate breaks this season, some deflections that haven’t gone our way that have resulted in goals against, but tonight we were able to keep a clean sheet.”
Penn State has caused IU trouble in the past and this season featured three starters 6-1 or taller. Yeagley had to call on his keeper a few times to come out and grab some balls floated up in the air off set pieces which turned out to prove vital.
“You just have to be physical,” Yeagley said. “You have to body them up so their runs aren’t as effective and our key zone players are free to go challenge. You have to call on your keeper to make a play for you when the ball is up in the air.”
