#BowsStories: Goalkeeper U

When you think of UH women’s soccer greats, usually the first name that rushes forward is Natasha Kai. And why not? She was an All-American and a national player of the year semifinalist for the Rainbow Wahine before enjoying a decorated career in the pros and with the U.S. National Team. 

But while the folks up front often get the glory – and in Kai’s case rightfully so – some of UH’s best performers have actually been stationed all the way in the back. Yeah, were talking about the goalkeepers. The Rainbow Wahine have had a long lineage of standout keepers dating back to the program’s inception more than two decades ago. And often times they’ve served as the linchpin for the team’s overall success. 

Goalkeeper Royalty

Since UH first joined the WAC in 1996 and through today as a member of the Big West, UH has had nine full-time starters in the goal. Six of those keepers have earned conference recognition. 

Aussie import Amanda Paterson started it all. She was the 1996 WAC Freshman of the Year and an all-region selection. To this day, she still holds the school record for saves in a season (118). Her successor wasn’t too shabby either. Demarre Sanchez once stuffed a school-record 18 shots in a single-match. She gained first-team all-conference honors and helped put the WAC on notice of UH’s growing emergence. 

That emergence reached a peak in 2003 with the team’s first-ever WAC championship. Maui-bred Mahie Atay posted five key shutouts during that title season. The very next year she sported a stout 0.64 goals against-average, fueled by a run of 533 consecutive shutout minutes.  

UH’s individual and team hardware continued with the play of four-year starter Kori Lu. The two-time all-conference keeper helped lead UH to a pair of conference titles and its inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007. When all was said and done, Lu appeared in 80 matches, the most of any ’Bows goalkeeper. 

The program’s most recent goalkeepers have certainly cemented their place in the UH’s goalkeeping pantheon. Monk Berger twice earned conference recognition and set new single-season (7) and career (16) marks for shutouts. Meanwhile, Alexis Mata reached the apex as far as individual accolades. In 2019, she was the Big West Goalkeeper of the Year while leading the program to its first appearance in the Big West playoffs.  

Above: Amanda Paterson, Demarre Sanchez, Mahie Atay, Kori Lu, and Monk Berger. 

The Goalkeeper Whisperer

Elite goalkeeping needs elite development. Michele Nagmine, who enters her 10th season as UH head coach, recognizes the likes of Lois Tiedemann and Josh Fouts for setting the culture for goalkeeper training in the earlier years of UH soccer. It’s a culture that’s continued during her tenure.

“I think that Hawai‘i represents a different kind of experience overall,” she says, “and keepers are looking for programs where they know they are going to be trained and developed. I’m proud to say that when we talk to keepers during the recruiting process, a huge part of our conversation is development and the fact that they get specialized attention every single day.”

The man responsible for developing the latest string of shot stoppers is Marc Fournier, UH’s goalkeepers coach since 2011. Fournier’s love for soccer—and for goalkeeping—started as a five-year old growing up in Casteljaloux, a small town of just 5,000 in the French country side. 

“It fit me,” Fournier says. “I was a little hyper, a little crazy. I loved being the star of the show, the training. I liked the pressure of it all.”

Fournier ultimately made his way to UH Hilo, where he was an all-conference keeper for the Vulcans. Later, he latched on as a coach with Hawaii Pacific’s men’s squad. At HPU, he met Nagamine who eventually brought him to Manoa upon her hiring as the Rainbow Wahine head coach. 

Fournier’s path to Hawai‘I and coaching was long and winding. It was preceded by stints as a book salesman and au pair in towns as far-flung as Nashville, Tenn., Napa, Calif., and Marietta, Ga. After graduating  from UH Hilo, a job in the hospitality industry was on the horizon. A career coaching the beautiful game wasn’t. 

“Never imagined I’d become a soccer coach,” Fournier reminisces.

Lucky for UH he did. In his time at UH, he has mentored the likes of Berger, Mata, and Kanani Taaca.

“Marc has done a phenomenal job,” Nagamine says. “He takes it to another level with his passion, commitment and focus. When I first saw him coach and the activities he put the keepers through, it made me think, wow that’s cool, I wish I was a keeper!”

Cool, maybe…but also grueling.  Fournier admits that he has often pushed his players to the tipping point. 

“They will all tell you there were times they hated me,” he says. “I’ve always tried to push them out of their comfort zone. But they didn’t quit and I think they eventually look back with appreciation.” 

That’s certainly the case for Mata who Fournier rode pretty hard. But she bought in and the results were dramatic. Mata not only earned the Big West’s top goalkeeper honor, she’s now on the verge of a professional career in Europe. 

The Makings Of A Great Goalkeeper  

So what makes a great goalkeeper? For Fournier, there are three non-negotiables:

• Athleticism: “You have to be quick off your line and be explosive to make deciding saves. You need jumping ability and the ability to sprint. Size is a factor, but also how you move, being mobile and fluid. You really need to be a tremendous athlete.”
   
• Technique: “To compete at the DI level you need a complete skill set. Great hands for sure, that’s the primary thing. But the ability with your feet and being able to distribute is really a difference maker.”
   
• Presence: “When you step on the field you have to have a certain aura. You have to instill confidence in your teammates. When you have that, you start winning the mental game and gaining a psychological advantage over the opponent.” 

Each of Fournier’s UH keepers have possessed those qualities, some more prevalent than others. Berger was “a total-package athlete” according to Fournier.  It’s what allowed her to record more clean sheets than any other UH keeper. 

While Mata was athletic and a great shot-stopper, it was her mentality and indomitable work ethic that set her apart. 

“She matured so much over those four-plus years,”  Fournier says. “She was absolutely fearless on the field and embraced her role. She really rose to the occasion. She had goals she wanted to acheive and she put in the work – with a lot of extra reps on her own.” 

Kanani Taaca and Alexis Mata

The Value of Goalkeepers

The difference between a win, loss or draw in soccer often rests on the shoulders of a goalkeeper.  

“You need to have a solid goalkeeper,” Fournier stresses. “It’s the last line of defense. When you play that position you’re going to see action. You can’t hide.”

Some players can single-handedly (or double-handedly for that matter) determine the outcome of match. A prime example is Kanani Taaca who gave an other-worldly performance in UH’s 2012 season-finale at UC Irvine. The Anteaters unleashed 34 shots that day. Taaca didn’t allow a single one by and thwarted a UCI penalty kick in the second overtime to preserve a scoreless draw.

“One of the best goalkeeper performances I’ve ever seen in all my years in the sport,” Fournier recalls. 

Interestingly enough, Taaca is not one of the afore mentioned all-conference keepers for UH.  But in giving arguably the single greatest UH performance at the position, she showed just how deep the legacy of UH goalkeepers is. 

For Fournier, Mata’s role in UH’s 2019 run to the Big West semifinals was also undeniable. UH went undefeated in its first five Big West matches last season as Mata allowed just three goals in more than 500 minutes of play. 

“Lex was an integral part of why we had such a good team last year,” he says. “She pulled off saves left and right. With her teammates knowing they had Lex in goal, the confidence she instilled…it just made the rest of the team stronger as well.” 

Next In Line

Fournier credits Mata and the team’s overall recent success in raising the standards for UH goalkeeping play.

“Initially, our goalkeepers were basically shot-stoppers,” Fournier says. “It was, and still is, the  primary job. But as we’re getting better as a team and are getting better goalkeepers, we demand more from them. Our goalkeeper needs to be very composed, have the technical skill to play out of pressure, and be more involved in the building aspect of the game.”

Lauren Marquez looks to fit that bill. The Arizona native has served as Mata’s understudy the last two seasons. While Mata took all the minutes, Marquez has waited patiently in the wings and has learned under an established veteran. She’ll need to earn the job, Fournier notes, however the redshirt sophomore is currently penciled in as UH’s next starting goalkeeper. 

“She’s extremely good with her feet,” Fournier raves, “with skills comparable to most field players. She’s also one of the most cerebral players we’ve had with a good tactical understanding of the game. Moving forward we’re hoping to capitalize on all of that.”

If history shows, UH will be able to capitalize. You’d expect nothing less from Goalkeeper U. 

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