Sophomore women’s soccer player Ella Hayes won the honors of Peach Belt Conference Goalkeeper of the Week for her elite performance in protecting the goal during the week ending on Oct. 13. The Watkinsville, Georgia native played 180 minutes between the posts, facing 15 shots, seven of which were on goal, across her two games that week, to which she just allowed a single goal. Hayes helped the Bobcats shut down the University of South Carolina-Aiken Pacers 1-0 for a Senior Day victory.
“It was a big honor,” said Ella Hayes, a sophomore goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team. “I really appreciate getting that recognition, it motivates me to keep wanting to go, keep wanting to win and keep making the saves I need to make.”
The goalkeeper had a solid freshman season, allowing 12 goals and accumulating 38 saves over 681:40 minutes in her first-year campaign. Hayes has built upon her previous season, so far this season allowing only a meager three goals and picking up double-digit saves with 10. Hayes has become a comfortable decision for coach Jack Marchant to make when it comes to goalkeeping, with the Bobcats having a 3-0 record when Hayes plays the full 90 minutes, two of such opportunities being shutouts.
“I’m really proud of her,” said Maddie Drake, junior goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team. “Since I’ve been here, that’s the first time any of the goalkeepers have gotten recognition, and it’s really good to see her get it. She absolutely deserves it, especially after the Aiken game on Satuday. She kept us in it, and I think it gives the team overall some good recognition.”
In that senior day contest, which helped her secure the honors of Peach Belt Conference Goalkeeper of the Week, Hayes faced nine shots, accumulating six saves, and her metrics only seem to improve, with a 0.81 goals allowed on average and 0.769 save percentage as of Saturday, Oct. 18.
“I would say probably the tip over the bar, it was either that one or coming out on that corner and being able to punch the ball out,” Hayes said. “I think those are two really big plays that if that goal had gone in, I think that would have completely changed the momentum of the game.”
Goalkeeper is definitely a stressful position to play on the soccer pitch, with immense amounts of pressure, especially when it comes to those one-on-one match-ups that you can be placed into from time to time.
“I think goalkeeper is the position on the team that has the most pressure,” Drake said. “Every other position on the field has somebody behind them to back them up if they mess up. If we miss that, it’s a goal. I think taking the time to calm down, gather your thoughts and make sure you don’t panic is huge—panicking is probably one of the worst things you can do as a goalkeeper.”
Coach Marchant has definitely managed his goalkeepers well, making sure they have a good mindset when they approach the task of being between the posts.
“You got to keep working, it’s a day-to-day thing, so we go by practice. Games are important, but practice is more important because you practice how you play,” Hayes said.
GCSU women’s soccer continues its season with a midweek conference match-up against the number-one Peach Belt Conference-ranked University of North Georgia Nighthawks on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in Dahlonega, Georgia, before returning to Milledegville for a weekend conference contest against the Columbus State University Cougars for GCSU’s Mother’s Day Kick Cancer Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m.