Senior seasons in college athletics are often considered a final shot at glory. 
LSU senior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman doesn’t have that problem. She’s trying to recapture the form — or at least the saves —  that earned her freshman glory three years ago.
As the Tigers hit Southeastern Conference play, it’s been a boom-or-bust senior season for Kinneman, who has been plagued by multigoal games despite ascending to second in the LSU record books with 16 career shutouts and counting.
“She has a chance to be the best goalkeeper in LSU history,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “Her teammates and coaches would echo that. Hopefully, she’ll keep racking those [shutouts] up.”
A starter and an All-SEC performer as a freshman in 2010, Kinneman allowed just 10 goals in 14 games. In 2011, Mo Isom returned from injury and grabbed the starting spot back, sending Kinneman to the bench.
As a junior, Kinneman was solid, if not spectacular, while allowing 1.29 goals per game while playing every minute of LSU’s 9-8-4 2012 campaign.
“It’s been a crazy ride, and it went quick,” she said. “I’m trying to not take these last games for granted.”
For the most part, she hasn’t this season. The Missouri City, Texas, native has posted five shutouts through eight matches to go along with a scoreless exhibition match. But LSU’s three losses have come when opposing teams scored four, four and two goals, respectively.
Those goals came against No. 11 BYU, a Stephen F. Austin sqaud with a top-40 Ratings Percentage Index (used to rank teams based off of wins, losses and strength of schedule) and a 7-1 Minnesota squad. No one else has scored on Kinneman.
“Particularly this season, Megan’s performance has been very consistent, though it might not look like it on the surface,” Lee said. “When we defend hard with good communication, we shut teams out. If we don’t do that on the back line, you see how the scoreboard looks. We’ve probably let her down as a team in a couple of games.”
That communication is a hallmark of Kinneman’s play the last two seasons, with an experienced back line bending fluidly to the keeper’s commands.
“Communication is everything near the net,” said junior defender Alex Arlitt. “It wins or loses games. It’s special back there with Megan, because I know her so well. It’s intuitive.”
Lee said splitting time during her first two seasons hindered Kinneman’s ability to be vocal and confident in the goal.
“That’s been where she’s improved the most, being more assertive and willing to yell a little,” Lee said. “She’s our clear-cut team leader now. Even if she’s speaking softly off the field, they’re listening. Megan’s on the same page as our coaching staff 99 percent of the time.”
Kinneman said that leadership could only develop once the mental aspect of the college game became fully inate. Know your own play before you can know the game, she said.
“I’ve gotten to understand more about myself as a player,” she said. “At this level, it’s faster and such a mental thing. I always made saves growing up, but now you’re getting scouted and facing different formations. You have to really study the game. That takes half your career to sink in.”
Despite allowing 10 goals in non-conference play, Kinneman and LSU still notched several strong wins that should put the Tigers back in contention for an NCAA berth after missing the tournament last season.
Lee said ultimately that’s how Kinneman’s legacy will be judged.
“Her statistics are usually great, but they aren’t important besides wins and losses,” he said.
On that front, Kinneman is 19-18-9 as a keeper. 
That’s barely breaking even, hardly a reflection of her true performance in goal. Perhaps this senior campaign is that last grasp for glory after all.