Naperville North freshman Olivia Ochsner has been playing goalkeeper for eight years.
There’s one thing about the position she finds particularly exciting.
“My favorite part about playing goalie is when you make that big save and the rush that you feel and the adrenaline,” Ochsner said. “It’s a big responsibility being the back line of a team, but when you make that save and keep it out of the net, it’s such an incredible feeling.
“It’s also terrible when it goes in.”
There has been more of the former and less of the latter this season for Ochsner, who is the first freshman to start between the pipes for the Huskies in coach Steve Goletz’s 12-year tenure.
Ochsner has started 16 of 17 games, allowing 12 goals and posting a 0.79 goals-against average. She recorded her eighth shutout in Naperville North’s 4-0 victory against East Aurora in the Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinals on Tuesday.
“Olivia as a freshman has been thrown into the wringer a little bit, but she’s a confident goalie,” Goletz said. “She’s a good shot stopper.
“I told her that she’s going to make mistakes. It’s a lot of pressure for a freshman to step into this program, and she’s done a really nice job of continuing to get better as the year has gone on.”
The third-seeded Huskies (12-5-1), who will play sixth-seeded Oswego East (12-6-2) in the regional championship game on Friday, began the season with nine new starters and a lot of question marks. Ochsner, by virtue of her age, was one of the biggest.
Consider it asked and answered.
“We see in practice every day the level of saves that she’s able to make,” Goletz said. “(It’s impressive) to be 14 years old and playing against one of the best schedules in the state and some of the best players in the state. The success that we’ve had as a team, we owe a big part of that to Olivia and her growth.”
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Junior defender Reagan O’Malley, another first-year varsity starter, can attest to that.
“She’s been amazing,” O’Malley said. “She’s saved us so many times. I would be so nervous being a freshman and being the goalie, but she’s been killing it. She’s been so confident, and I’m so proud of her.”
Ochsner’s confidence showed against East Aurora. One minute after Annie Chang tapped in a goal to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead, East Aurora’s Yaritza Servin launched a 35-yard free kick that was headed toward the upper-left corner of the net.
Ochsner leaped high to knock the ball into the left post. It turned out to be the only shot the 14th-seeded Tomcats (7-10-2) mustered, but the save changed the complexion of the game.
“When there’s high balls like that and I can’t really tell if it’s going in or out, I always just try to get a hand on it, especially that high up,” Ochsner said. “That ball was so high up in the air, and I tried to get on it. It’s a judgment thing, and I don’t risk it. I just go for it every time.”
That gumption has endeared Ochsner to teammates like O’Malley, who scored her first varsity goal 20 minutes later to give Naperville North a 2-0 lead.
“She really saved us there,” O’Malley said. “I remember her saying, ‘I don’t know if that was going in.’ She is able to take charge, even as a freshman. She knows what to do, and she’s not afraid to tell people where to go.”
That’s a vital skill for any goalkeeper.
“It is nerve-wracking, especially when everyone is older, but it’s a part of my job, and I know I have to do it,” Ochsner said.
“I’ve been so thankful for my teammates. They’ve helped me adjust to this level of play, and they’re very good listeners, so it’s been really easy for me to talk and tell them what to do. They don’t ask questions. They just do it.”
Ochsner has answered Naperville North’s goalkeeper question for this season and beyond.
“She’s a fun kid,” Goletz said. “She’s got a great personality. She has garnered the respect of her teammates, and when you do that, it becomes easier to be a leader, especially as a goalkeeper.
“We’re super excited and fortunate to have her not only this year but also for the next three years.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.