LSU freshman defender Alexis Urch had just one word to describe junior goalkeeper Catalina Rubiano.
That word was “amazing.”
“I’ll be so out of position, and [Rubiano] will always save me,” Urch said. “She’s a really great goalkeeper who can hit all spots in the goal. Catalina can be parallel to the ground, and it doesn’t matter. I’ve never seen that in my life. She’s amazing.”
Since she took over goalkeeping duties on Oct. 9, Rubiano gave the Tigers the steady veteran presence in goal they desperately craved throughout their rocky 2014 season.
Opponents continuously tested the seemingly inexperienced Rubiano with relentless attacks and a bombardment of shots, but LSU’s cool-natured goalkeeper never shied away from any of the countless challenges during her six games between net.
Instead, Rubiano met them head-on.
“She’s a real confident kid to begin with,” said LSU soccer coach Brian Lee. “She doesn’t get rattled, and she always keeps the right mindframe.”
Rubiano was tested plenty during her six games in goal. Opponents fired off 17.8 shots per match against Rubiano, two shots more than what opponents averaged in the 14 games LSU freshman goalkeeper Lily Alfeld started.
Five of the six teams Rubiano faced ended the contest with more shots than their season averages. But Rubiano said she was glad for the ample experience because it helped her become more confident in goal.
“Part of the growth is just getting comfortable with the level of play, the speed of it and the amount of strength that all the girls have out there,” Rubiano said. “It never comes easy, but I can only hope that the experience of each game will make me better and more confident in little aspects. It’s been a good adjustment for me.”
However, the Tigers failed to provide Rubiano with much goal support during her time as starter.
LSU averaged 9.3 shots with only 2.8 on target during Rubiano’s six games in goal, and the lack of offensive flow led to only three goals of support for the New Orleans native.
Conversely, the Tigers posted an average of 12.8 shots with 5.4 on target in the 14 games Alfeld started, and LSU tallied 23 goals during that span. LSU was blanked in only five of Alfeld’s 14 matches compared to four shutouts in the six games Rubiano started.
Given the abundance of shots Rubiano faced combined with the lack of goal support she received, LSU sophomore forward Summer Clarke couldn’t help but admire her teammate’s composure.
“[Rubiano’s] done really well, and personally I’m very proud of her,” Clarke said. “She got here when I got here [in 2013], and I’ve seen her improve so much since then, so I’m just really proud of her. She’s been working really hard and doing well, and I think she’s earned her spot in there.”
Rubiano recorded 29 saves this season and concluded the year with a string of four consecutive games with at least five saves. She also posted a combined 13 saves in consecutive matches against Kentucky and No. 9 Florida, two of the top three scoring teams in the Southeastern Conference.
Urch said she’s never been on a team with a goalkeeper of Rubiano’s caliber.
“Catalina’s so quick,” Urch said. “I’ve never really played with a goalkeeper that fast, and a lot of times she saves me. In high school, I never really had a good goalkeeper, and my club goalkeeper was good in the air, but she didn’t have that fast of reflexes like Catalina does.”
Rubiano’s cat-like reflexes and athleticism were instrumental in the Tigers’ improvement against set pieces, which had been the team’s Achilles’ heel for much of the season.
With Rubiano in goal, LSU surrendered only two goals off of set pieces in six games. In the 14 matches before Rubiano took over, the Tigers had given up eight such goals.
But every goalkeeper, no matter how talented, allows teams to score at some point, and Rubiano was no different. She gave up 13 goals during her six starts, but Lee said there wasn’t much more she could have done to prevent them.
“Catalina’s just a really good shot stopper,” Lee said. “You’re always looking at the end result with any player. With Catalina, you can’t point at any goal with her having anything to do with. She’s made the saves she’s needed to, and when she’s been beaten, it hasn’t been anything to do with something she did.”
Given her performance to end the 2014 season, Rubiano seems to be the leading candidate to start at goalkeeper next year for the Tigers. Rubiano said she still has plenty to improve on, such as her goal kicks and positioning in the box, but she’s thrilled she finally got the chance to prove to others and herself she belongs on the pitch.
“The last six games just solidified my confidence,” Rubiano said. “I thought I had what it takes to play at this level, and I think the way I showed up in the games proved it to myself and my coaches, and I’m really happy about that.”
You can reach David Gray on Twitter @dgray_TDR.