When it comes to the sport of Soccer, 22 players kick a ball around the pitch. However, in any given match, one position stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of importance and the sheer amount of stress it induces — the goalie.

“Standing between the posts, as the last line of defense is the keeper, a player who is either everyone’s hero for stopping a shot, or the first one to receive the pointed fingers if they allow a goal. This is not an easy position to fill by any terms. Up steps Liz Smith, a sophomore keeper who only saw time last year on varsity as a field player. Her confidence in net had its ups and downs, and she was extremely hard on herself when she made mistakes,” Lake Region girls’ varsity soccer coach David Jaeger said.

Fast forward to Sept. 7, 2019. Liz stepped up and earned herself a starting position on the varsity and lined up against one of the top teams in the conference, the Yarmouth Clippers on their turf field.

“The next 90 minutes would prove to be one of the biggest roller coasters of my coaching career here at Lake Region,” Coach Jaeger said. “Liz turned away 21 shots from our goal and only conceded one. Her heroics in net won us a 1-1 draw against one of the best teams we will see this year. She marshaled her defense with poise and confidence well above that of a sophomore. Regularly stepping up to stop shots from confident Yarmouth juniors and seniors, her heroics on the field turned many heads. However, it has been her comments off the field that continue to impress me. Questions about where or what she should do…Questions she never once asked me a year ago are now asked with confidence and she is accepting of all critiques and continues to work hard to better herself.”

To step into this role as a sophomore is hard enough, to set the benchmark as high as she did against Yarmouth is something that deserves recognition, Coach Jaeger said.

“Liz pushes her boundaries off the field as well, currently working and making inroads for a unified sports program at Lake Region. She has my support and is looking for interested parties to help make this a success,” he added. “To have such poise and vision as a sophomore in high school is something that is often overlooked. However, in Liz’s case, I believe that the start of her sophomore year is something that has earned her a spot as the Lake Region girls’ soccer Player of the Week.

In recognition of her strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Liz is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed t-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

Name: Liz Smith

Year in School: Sophomore

Hometown: Casco

Parents: Megan Smith and Eric Smith

Sports you play: Soccer and basketball

School organizations: ASTRA

School honors: Honors Algebra II

Q. Why did you choose to play soccer? I decided to play soccer because when I was little my mom signed me up. The moment I stepped out onto the field, I fell in love with the game. I enjoy the challenge and the amount of teamwork that’s involved. No one person can do everything on the field.

Q. What is the most difficult part of the game? The most difficult part of the game for me is not getting stuck on the mistakes that are made. Once you hang your head and focus on the past you are not doing any good for your teammates.

Q. What do you enjoy the most about soccer? I enjoy the pace of the game and how anything can happen until the very end. I also enjoy the strategy needed to play the game because you can’t just go out and kick the ball and hope for the best.

Q. What do you feel you need to work on and why? I feel the thing I need to work on most is not blaming myself for everything that happens on the field and knowing there are more games to be played.

Q. Why is teamwork important? In soccer, there are 11 players on the field, all doing different things. Without communication and teamwork, you would get nowhere. It’s a big field. No one player can do everything.

Q. What is the biggest impact your coach(es) have had on you? I think the biggest impact my coach has had on me is being honest with me and letting me know if I had a bad game and telling me what to improve on. It is super beneficial to have a coach that knows about every position on the field so he can help us reach our full potential and achieve the goals we set.

Q. How do you want people to view you as an athlete? I want to be a player who is good at the game, as well as being a good teammate with sportsmanship. I don’t want to be a player, who focuses on the negative and blames others for my mistakes.

Q. Ten years from now, when you look back on your high school sports career, what do you think you will remember most? I am fortunate enough to have amazing teammates, ones that pick you up when you make a mistake instead of bringing you down. When we step out on the field, we want to win for each other, not for ourselves. We win or lose as a team, so I think I will remember most the friendships that were created.