Oregon soccer’s senior goalkeeper Katelyn Carter has stepped off the bench and into a starting position this season.
Carter spent the last three seasons playing backup goalkeeper for Halla Hinriksdottir, learning and waiting for her time to show what she can do. She jumped in this year with a lot of energy after working hard in the off-season and earned this role.
“The transition was pretty seamless because I was able to watch Halla for a long time, and I was able to get my own reps at games and at practices,” Carter said. “Halla and I are two very different goalkeepers. It was just good to watch her because I was able to learn from what she did well and what she didn’t do well.”
Carter worked hard in the off-season focusing on her distribution and helping the team command the attack while providing some extra help from the goal.
“We challenged her to be better with her distribution, we challenged her to be better with balls in the air, we challenged her to be a better leader in the back of the line, and I think she’s done a really good job with that,” head coach Kat Mertz said.
This season, Carter has been concentrating on her leadership on the field and helping the team communicate, commanding attacks from the back line.
“So far this season, we’ve overcome some difficult games, we’ve gone into a lot of overtimes so it’s about keeping the team strong, keeping the energy up when it’s those high minutes,” Carter said, “It’s keeping the team engaged.”
From making two saves last year to 36 saves this year with five games left in the season, Carter has been a part of Oregon’s four wins and five draws, including a shutout against Villanova on Sept. 1. At Carter’s season high against Colorado, she made five saves, allowing two goals and resulting in a tie.
“Playing in the Pac-12, you’re gonna have ups and downs and you’re going to have to make big-time saves,” Mertz said. “I can think back to a handful of games where she’s definitely won us the game and kept us in the game.”
The leadership that co-captains Carter and Alyssa Hinojosa have shown on and off the field has helped the team keep the energy up despite some tough matchups so far this season.
Carter and Hinojosa communicate well on the field, pushing the ball forward on the attack. Their connection on the field can be attributed to their friendship off the field. Carter and Hinojosa have known each other since freshman year of high school and are currently roommates.
This chemistry contributes to a powerful defensive force.
“I feel like there’s a lot of miscommunication that can happen during a game with the intensity going on,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa says that they don’t face too much of that miscommunication because they understand each other and have each other’s backs.
They work together to strengthen the defensive team and give each other feedback and critiques without letting it carry into their personal relationships.
“I think we work really well as teammates and as captains together,” Carter said.
Carter continues to work on her game and looks forward to another tough Pac-12 matchup against the University of Arizona this Thursday.
“I feel like we’ve gotten better each game,” Carter said. “We’re all really confident in each other, so I feel good about it.”
