Senior veteran Brittany Walker feels at home while suited up, tending the twine
Brittany Walker was never supposed to be a goalkeeper — until she went through a growth spurt in the eighth grade.
Walker, who has played 38 games in goal for the Bobcats, said that defending inside a cage for over ten years has helped the Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania native appreciate one of sports’ unglamorous positions.
“When there is almost no time on the clock and it’s a last minute corner and you have to make a save to end the game,” Walker said, “I get the same exact adrenaline rush as if a forward was making a great shot or scoring.”
Walker has tallied 149 saves and garnered a save percentage of .696 in her three years at Ohio, including playing in every game during the past two. She said she’ll walk away satisfied with being Ohio’s last line of defense for the past four years.
“She’s very goofy,” sweeper Lauryl Desch said. “She likes to be loud and vibrant, just like a typical goalkeeper. I’ve been with her for four years, so I know basically everything about Brittany Walker. In terms of her personality on the field, she is very serious and stern, but she gets off the field and she’s so much fun.”
Like most field hockey goalies, Walker wears kickers that cover her feet, leg guards, padded shorts, a chest protector, full arm protectors, a neck guard and — of course — a helmet while in goal. Walker stated that she has become so acclimated to her capacious pads that she feels almost peculiar when she is not wearing the 7-piece set.
“At first, it was extremely awkward when I was putting on my gear, and I would totally embarrass myself,” Walker laughed. “Now, it’s gotten to the point where if I’m not on the field and I’m not fully suited up, I don’t feel right and I don’t feel like myself.”
A goalie’s job is never easy — and Walker understands that — but behind all the body armor and stress, Walker’s bubbly personality is perfectly compatible for the position. However, even with her extensive experience, she still finds pressure in being committed and attentive for her sweepers and fullbacks.
“Being a goalkeeper, you just have to take it as it is,” Walker said. “If you get scored on, you have to make sure you don’t get too affected by it. That’s the last thing you want the other team to see.”
In the midst of the 2013 season, when the Bobcats did not play at home in their first 12 games, Walker said she had to become more communicative with her teammates.
Last season, Ohio’s defense surrendered 39 total points, finishing the year 7-10, marking the second consecutive year the Bobcats finished below .500. Seventeen of those points came in Ohio’s first four games.
During the year, Walker shared time with redshirt sophomore Lina Trucco, who played 59 minutes in three games for the Bobcats. The duo allowed 2.29 goals per game last year in comparison to only giving up 1.65 per game in 2012.
Last season, the Bobcats played in 11 games that were decided by a single point.
Coach Neil Macmillan said he is confident Walker, along with the other five seniors, will be able to resurge Ohio this season.
“I think one of our strongest attributes is our ability to adapt to different gameplans,” Macmillan said. “We want to exploit other teams’ weaknesses. We aren’t flashy. We rely on all eleven players.”
With the construction of Pruitt Field finally finished, affording Ohio an entire season of practice and play on its home field, Macmillan said he expects the Bobcats to improve all facets of their game.
“(Last season) was a long one for us,” Macmillan said. “I think it’s great we played as hard as we did without a home field. We were close (against Miami), but we weren’t sharp enough. This season we are going to be more settled in our play.”
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