Benet senior goalkeeper Giada McGlynn has an analytical mind.
It’s why she plans to study materials science and engineering at Illinois.
“I’ve kind of always had a mechanical mindset,” McGlynn said. “I’m a big Lego person. I like building anything and everything.”
McGlynn, a second-year starter and first-time co-captain in her third varsity season, is a building block on whom the Redwings (2-0) know they can rely.
“She’s just a very good leader,” Benet junior defender Peyton Cable said. “She’s always cheering us on, and then her skills, she always knows when to play the ball, and she always has our back.”
McGlynn backstopped the Redwings to their sixth straight East Suburban Catholic Conference championship last season, recording a 0.79 goals-against average and 11 shutouts in 23 games.
It was an impressive showing for the 5-foot-3 McGlynn, who is short in stature for a goalkeeper but long on heart and preparation. Her intelligence is a factor too.
“I think especially trying to plan when I’m getting up, it translates a little bit,” McGlynn said. “It helps with the reaction time and the processing.”
McGlynn demonstrated that proficiency with a great stop against Glenbard West’s Lily Hubbuch during a game in the Wheaton North Kickoff Tournament at North Central College in Naperville on Saturday night. Hubbuch had a wide-open shot from 12 yards out, but McGlynn leaped to tip the shot over the crossbar.
“I took a couple steps back, and then it went up,” McGlynn said. “I waited a couple seconds and just used everything to try to get it over.
“I knew that catching was more than likely not an option, so I had to just get whatever I could possibly have on the ball.”
McGlynn’s save kept the game scoreless. Four minutes later, Cable scored on a 50-yard free kick. Three minutes after that, freshman forward Genevieve Burda’s first high school goal gave Benet a 2-0 lead with 23:15 left in the first half.
McGlynn’s bid for her second shutout in as many games ended when Katie Meehan scored on a rebound with 3:50 remaining in the second half, but the Redwings pulled out a 2-1 win.
McGlynn, who finished with four saves, said she defends high balls with smart positioning.
“I stay more back on my line just because it’s easier to come out and up than back and up,” she said. “It’s all about judgment, so as long as I can judge the ball from the start, I should be good.”
Glenbard West’s goalkeeper was caught too far off her line on Cable’s goal. Cable wasn’t intending to score, but her serve to the top of the box was headed backward by a defender, and the ball went over the goalkeeper’s head.
“It was pretty exciting,” Cable said. “(McGlynn) kept us going, and then we had the opportunity and took it.”
McGlynn didn’t have many opportunities to touch the ball during Benet’s 6-0 season-opening win over Wheaton North. But she’s always alert.
“I feel like she’s always ready,” Cable said. “That’s just the person she is, and it’s important for us because it keeps us going. The whole team is locked in together.”
The key to that is McGlynn’s voice, which is loud and enthusiastic.
“You can always hear her voice, that’s for sure,” Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. “Her vocal leadership sets an example.”
That’s true at all times.
“I come out on the field guns blazing,” McGlynn said. “Everybody can attest to that. The energy is always there. Even at our lifts at 6 in the morning, I’m loud.”
Unlike her play in the net, the volume isn’t calculated.
“That’s just natural,” McGlynn said. “I wake up, and it’s like, ‘Soccer time, let’s go.’”
McGlynn’s enthusiasm is easy to see, but her approach to her craft is more subtle.
“She uses her quickness as her strength,” Oconer said. “She’s really good down low from side to side. She’s very smart with her positioning, so she doesn’t necessarily have to be 6-foot tall.”
McGlynn turned down a few offers to play in college so she can focus on her academics. But she’s relishing her time as a co-captain with senior midfielder Annie Fitzgerald and senior forward Ivana Vukas.
“I like the leadership role,” McGlynn said. “I’ve been a captain on my club team for a while. I like the command of the field especially. I like bringing energy, hyping everybody up.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
