Answering the Call

After all, no one forced them to station themselves in front of the net and deflect missiles delivered by opposing athletes intent on ruining their day.

 

They picked their position either by choice or to fit the needs of their team, and they know full well that their every move — right or wrong, good or bad, successful or futile — is there for the world to see and open to critique. They know, too, that as they provide the last line of defense, they can experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

 

Quick hands and feet are a must as are keen instincts and the ability to read the action before them and react instantaneously. A short memory is essential. Only the hardy, fearless, and resilient need apply.

 

Abby Carley and Thomas Word, two-year starters for Collegiate’s field hockey and soccer teams, respectively, fit those criteria well, and as they’ve answered their athletic calling, they’ve brought a joie de vivre that belies the fact that the outcome of a game or season could rely on their ability to remain laser-focused yet cool under pressure.

 

Carley, a sophomore, went out for Cub hockey as a 7th grader with no previous experience in the sport. To say that she quickly became all-in is an understatement.

 

A year later, she shared time with senior Tucker Walker on the varsity squad, moved into the starting position last fall, registered 87 saves, and played a key role in the Cougars’ 17-6 season and League of Independent Schools and VISAA championships.

 

“Abby is hardworking and extremely competitive,” said Coach Kelsey Smither. “I have no doubt that she will do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the cage day-in and day-out in practices and games. She’s a great teammate and really empties the tank as far as giving her absolute best each day for her teammates."

 

From the outset, Carley has embraced both the challenges and risks inherent with her position.

 

“I can be the difference between winning and losing a game,” she said. “If I make a mistake, that can be it for us. A lot of people don’t want the pressure of knowing the fate of the team can rest in your hands.

 

“For some reason, that drew me to it. I like being in control of the play and having the mentality that I can fix a certain situation. I feel like my teammates appreciate the effort I put in, and if I let in a goal, they’re there for me regardless.”

 

The Cougars’ 2022 season ended with a 4-0 state championship conquest of Norfolk Academy, a team that defeated them 5-3 earlier in the season.

 

“There was definitely a lot of pressure,” Carley said. “I knew they’d be coming at me really hard. What helped me a lot was the fact that my team is so supportive. They’re absolutely incredible. They lift me up.”

 

In a relatively short period of time, Carley has become a passionate, year-round hockey player. She travels to Virginia Beach multiple times a week in the off season to train and compete in the highly competitive Saints Field Hockey club program. She also works out with a personal trainer to improve her strength, conditioning, and quickness and to prevent injuries.

 

“I love reflecting on how well we’ve done like winning LIS and states,” she said, “but that’s not going to help me as much as learning from the mistakes I’ve made and what I can do to be better.”

 

Then, there’s the mental component, which, she acknowledges, is the toughest part of defending the goal.

 

“When a team scores on me, I take it very personally,” she said. “I can be hard on myself. I’m a perfectionist. I love having a shutout. I love making perfect saves. When that doesn’t happen, I can get in my head thinking my team’s going to be mad at me when, in reality, it’s quite the opposite.”

 

Then there’s the dynamic of being in the spotlight, even if she’s wearing 20-plus pounds of protective gear.

 

“I’ve always been a very shy person,” she said. “I don’t like having the attention, but being in goal, when I hear people cheering for me when I make a save, knowing I’m doing the right thing and people are proud of me regardless makes me feel very good. I feel like it’s where I belong.”

 

Word first played soccer in the YMCA league and eventually graduated to the Richmond Strikers program. One day when he was in the 3rd or 4th grade, he said, he ended up tending the goal, liked what he saw, and essentially never left.

 

“I had an OK game, and I realized that this was something I really enjoyed doing,” he said. “I discovered playing recreationally that I’d like to take this to the travel level. I realized goalkeeper was a place I wanted to stay because I felt my skills were better there than they would be on the field.”

 

He played a year of Cub soccer at Collegiate, JV as an 8th and 9th grader, and varsity from his sophomore year on. During his first varsity season and part of the second, he bided his time, remained philosophical, and waited for his chance in net to come.

 

“I always knew to stay patient,” he said. “I had my club team to play for, so I knew I’d still be getting reps and still be able to play. I knew if I kept working hard and kept on the trajectory I was on, something would eventually happen.”

 

Four games into his junior season, Coach Rob Ukrop summoned him just after halftime in a match with St. Christopher’s on the Charlie Blair Field.

 

“Thomas is a kid who works incredibly hard,” Ukrop said. “He has a confidence factor that’s one of my favorite qualities in a young athlete. He’s humble, likeable, and unassuming. He’s got some serious toughness and puts the team first.”

 

Word went 11-1 as the starting keeper for the Prep League champion and VISAA semifinalist. He recorded 23 saves and nine shutouts. His goals-against average was an exceptional .396.

 

“Thomas made the best impression in 2021,” said Ukrop. “He was our second or third string goalkeeper. We were in warmup one day, and he rolled his ankle really badly.  I said, ‘Are you all right?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’m fine, Coach.’

 

“So the next day, he comes to training and bounces right out there. I said, “Thomas, do you need to get your ankle checked?’ He said, ‘No, I’m good, Coach.’ Trained his butt off that day.”

 

Moving from what Ukrop calls his “bench mafia” to starter, Word used not just the physical skills he’d developed during his club and school career and his training with Strikers goalkeeper coach Celia Mosier but a mindset that enables him to disregard the distractions that come with playing such a visible position.

 

“Especially before playing at City Stadium, it was, ‘Oh, my gosh, everyone’s going to be watching me,’” Word said. “Once you get into that moment, you’re not really thinking about the people watching.

        

“You’re thinking about what’s in front of you. Goalkeepers have the best view of the field. If I’m communicating with my team, I’m always busy focusing on something. That naturally fazes everything else out, and you’re ready to go.”

 

This fall, the Cougars are 2-0. Both victories are shutouts. That makes Word 13-1 with 11 shutouts as a starter.

 

“I always kept in mind that I had to keep working hard,” Word said. “Sitting on the bench is not as fun as playing, but the best thing about this soccer team is that it’s a community, a brotherhood. Even when I wasn’t on the field, I still felt like I was part of the team.”