Every successful team has a dependable player that the team can turn to in big situations.
For the past four years that player for the Ohio women’s soccer team has been goalkeeper Mattie Liston. A leader on and off the field, she has been a shoulder to lean on for the rest of the team, making big save after big save.
The senior from Lakewood has amassed 326 saves, making her the program’s all-time saves leader and the only one to eclipse the 300-save mark, while also placing her at No. 10 all-time in Mid-American Conference history. Liston also holds the program record for shutouts at 18.
“The whole four years Ohio soccer has been pretty much my life,” said Liston. “I wanted to start somewhere and play for four years and make a really big impact in my time that I was there and hopefully that’s what I’ve done. That’s what some people will say for sure, but for me I’ve always loved soccer and the fact that I’ve been able to play an extra four years outside of high school and have this experience.”
After playing her first three years as a Bobcat under coach Stacy Strauss, Liston has been one of the leaders in the transition process over to coach Aaron Rodgers. And the new coaching staff knew coming in that she would be a key figure in the new regime.
“Goalkeeping is an extremely important position on the field,” Rodgers said. “To have a senior and a leader back there, it kind of relieves some stress of finding the right person to start your defense with. She’s been a great contributor to this program over three and a half years.”
It’s been an interesting dynamic for Liston not only having one, but two former goalkeepers on the coaching staff — something that has allowed her to grow even more as a soccer player.
“They know what they’re doing more and you don’t just have one monkey on your back, but you probably have got two because Aaron knows what he’s doing as well,” said Liston. “He likes to get on us sometimes, but it’s a good thing; it’s not a bad thing.
“For a soccer player, if you’re being ignored then there’s a problem. If you have a coach that’s helping you, coaching you, wanting you to get better and telling you to do things differently, then he cares or she cares about you becoming a better player.”
Liston’s play isn’t always the most beautiful way to do things, according to assistant coach Allison Whitworth, but somehow she always seems to pull off the seemingly impossible when the ball is in the air.
“Mattie has a natural ability to win corners,” Whitworth said. “She’s fantastic at them. Sometimes it’s unorthodox, sometimes a little awkward, but she makes quality saves and she wins her crosses, wins her corner kicks and sometimes you have to teach other players that. Each player has (her) strengths and weaknesses. I think that she definitely stands out with balls in the air.”
Now midway through her senior campaign, Liston is trying to ignore the inevitable end and focus on winning each and every game.
“It’s weird because I remember probably the first game that I’ve ever played here four years ago. It’s weird to think time has gone by already, but it’s been a good experience,” she said. “We still have a ways to go. The season is only halfway over, but we have nine MAC games, so I’m kind of just looking game by game right now, trying to do the best I can and get a bunch of W’s.”
She started eight of Ohio’s 10 matches this year and recorded 30 saves in the net. She also led the Bobcats to a pair of shutouts.
While Liston’s impact on the program cannot be measured, the senior’s legacy will linger for years to come as she tries to help the next group of Ohio goalkeepers. Rodgers says Liston always leads the keepers in what they need to do.
“She’s always pushing them to become better and better,” he said. “They have a good relationship, all three of them. They all train together and all push each other and I think if the other ones see her doing well and having success that (they’ll) want to push themselves to hopefully achieve that level.”
ak849511@ohiou.edu
@KovarAndrew
