Benet senior Shannon Clark is proof that a goalkeeper doesn’t need to be tall to reach the elite ranks of her craft.
Standing a shade under 5 feet, 6 inches, Clark became the second goalkeeper in program history to commit to a Division I college when she signed with Denver.
“It’s been a dream for so long, so the fact that it’s reality right now still hasn’t sunk in,” she said. “I committed back in October, and I still cannot believe that it’s real.
“But I’m so excited that I’m becoming an example for younger girls that might want to pursue that in college.”
Division I college coaches prefer goalkeepers who are 6-0 or taller, the better to reach high shots and cut off crosses. Clark thought that would hold her back.
“For the longest time, it got in my head that my height is going to be a problem,” she said. “I’ve got to make up for it in other ways, so I kind of focused on what I could control instead of what I couldn’t.
“My college actually has a goalie that is 5-4, and training with her was a really cool experience. It paid off.”
Benet coach Gerard Oconer wasn’t surprised.
“That’s the only thing that potentially holds her back is the eye test,” Oconer said. “She doesn’t look like your prototypical 5-11, 6-foot goalkeeper, but makes up for it with her athleticism.
“She has all the other tools. She’s able to cover the higher areas almost better than some of the girls that we’ve had that have been 5-9, 5-10, and then anything low. She’s just a stellar shot-stopper.”
How does Clark do it?
“I was lifting weights to try to get as much power in my lower body as I could so I could become more explosive,” she said. “Also working on my technique — diving and making sure I have good power steps so I can cover the distance that taller goalies maybe fall over for.”
Opponents like to aim high against shorter goalkeepers, betting they can’t reach the upper corners of the net. But there are ways to defend against that.
“My previous goalie coach helped me a lot on this one because he played in college and he was considered a shorter goalie for men’s soccer,” Clark said. “He said that I’ve got to focus on my positioning within the goal to make up for it.
“So if they are taking shots from outside the box, I need to drop back deeper on my line and give myself a little bit more time. I focused on getting that explosive jump so I can get high because even the smallest touch will get it over the bar.”
Clark has set a high bar during her career at Benet. She posted an 0.59 goals-against average with 13 shutouts and 93 saves in 27 games last season, when she was the East Suburban Catholic Conference’s goalkeeper of the year and helped the Redwings reach the Class 2A state championship game. They lost 1-0 to Troy Triad.
The defeat was gut-wrenching for Clark, who vows to avenge it.
“I wanted it more than anything,” she said. “Eighth grade, I remember watching the 2019 team (win state) and coming in freshman year saying, ‘Gosh, I hope I make the freshman team.'”
Clark made varsity that season, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. She has started ever since.
“That fueled my passion,” she said. “It gave me a new inspiration for soccer.”
Clark’s teammates find her play inspiring.
“We have a great relationship with her,” senior midfielder Reese MacDonald said. “She doesn’t play like she’s 5-5 or 5-6.
“She knows she’s good, not in a cocky way but in the sense she knows her skills. She commands her goal and commands the field well.”
That will be more important than ever as the Redwings shoot for another state championship.
“She’s going to be absolutely vital to our success this year because with us losing our top two leading goal scorers, we’re going to have to emphasize attacking with more numbers,” Oconer said. “So there are going to be certain times where she’s going to have to come up big for us, and those are the situations where she thrives the most.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
