MUSKEGON TWP. - Being a soccer goalkeeper can be a lonely, nerve-wracking job under the best of circumstances.
The pressure is even worse when the goalie knows that giving up even a single goal could lead to defeat for the team.
That’s been the case in recent weeks for Reeths-Puffer senior goalkeeper Liam Copenhaver, a first-year varsity starter.
His team had been mired in a terrible scoring slump, managing only three goals in six games between Sept. 4-18. The Rockets did not score at all in four of those games.
For Copenhaver, that meant there was usually zero room for error.
R-P's Liam Copenhaver
Luckily for the Rockets, he functioned extremely well under the extra pressure. Working with R-P’s outstanding defensive back line, Copenhaver managed keep opponents scoreless in three of those six games, and his overall play allowed R-P to escape with a 1-0 win, a 2-1 win, and a pair of 0-0 ties.
The 1-0 victory was at home over rival Mona Shores, in front of a big crowd with lots of fans from both schools. R-P’s only goal came on a first half penalty kick, and Mona Shores put a lot of pressure on the Rocket goal in the final minutes of the game.
Copenhaver was up to the task, however, making several big stops to preserve the victory.
He got a big ovation from the crowd with 10:35 left, when Mona Shores had a corner kick and the ball went right into a big crowd of players packed in front of the R-P goal.
Copenhaver leaped above everyone and snared the ball high in the air, keeping any damage from occurring in the dangerous situation.
Copenhaver leaps for a save against East Grand Rapids.
“It was so much pressure,” Copenhaver said about playing during the games when R-P was not scoring much. “I really didn’t know how to handle it, so my mindset was just to not even think about it, just try and help my team the best I can. Just go in there and do my job.”
Copenhaver’s great performances have started to pile up, and suddenly he’s on the verge of getting into the R-P soccer record book. He now has 9 ½ shutouts on the season (he only played half of one shutout), following Saturday’s 5-0 victory over Grand Rapids Northview, and the single-season team record is 10.
Copenhaver is aware of that fact and admits the he’s excited about the possibility of breaking the record.
“Coach told me and I was shocked,” he said. “I’m very excited to see what I can do, and what my team can do.”
Nervous at first...
Before the season, there was little reason to suspect that Copenhaver would be a candidate to become a top shutout goalie.
He was the backup goalkeeper last season, and did not see a great deal of playing time. He admits he was nervous taking over the starting role before the season, and was not at all sure about how he would do.
“I was very nervous,” Copenhaver said. “I came in with barely any varsity experience and I had big shoes to fill. Our last few goaltenders were amazing. I’m still pretty shocked at how I am doing.”
Copenhaver said his confidence started to grow following R-P’s tight 1-0 victory over East Grand Rapids in the first home game of the season.
Copenhaver (right) after making a save, while an opponent (left) expresses frustration.
The Rockets scored their one goal in the first half, and the narrow lead could have slipped away with about two minutes left in the game when an EGR player sent a high shot from close range at the R-P net.
But Copenhaver leaped and tipped the ball over the net, allowing the victory to stand.
“It was just getting a shutout against a really good team,” he said. “Now I feel like I am coming in with a lot of confidence and energy, knowing I can be good and make the saves that need to be saved.”
R-P head coach Kody Harrell said Copenhaver and the R-P defensive line were “amazing” during the worst of the team's scoring drought.
“There’s a lot to be said about our back line play, but I am most impressed with the way Liam is coming out and winning those balls in the air, on corner kicks or in the line of play,” the coach said. "He’s really confident and physical getting to those.
Copenhaver comes out of the goal to try to snare the ball from an attacker.
Harrell gives a lot of credit to R-P goalie coach Andrew Anderson for helping Copenhaver – and the strong R-P keepers who came before him – develop their skills.
“Coach Anderson has done a really good job of teaching Liam about angles, which helps him be calm and composed in pressure situations,” Harrell said. “His diving techniques have really picked up, and he’s been more athletic than he’s been in the past. He’s really come a long way.”
Copenhaver said Anderson is very much an unsung hero.
“He’s been really helpful since my freshman year,” said the goalie, who has stopped 68 of 79 shots on goal in 15 games. "He’s the one who has taught me the most. All of the good work I have been able to do is because of him. He pushes me every day during practice. I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
R-P's Kaden Vanderlaan helps Copenhaver up after a diving save.
The happy news is that the Rockets have finally started to score some goals. They rallied with two second-half goals to beat Jenison on the road on Thursday, then exploded for a 5-0 victory at Northview on Saturday.
The victories left R-P with a very nice 9-3-3 record, which is really good for a team that didn’t score much at all for several weeks.
Copenhaver believes fans are just starting to see the real R-P soccer team.
“We just need to keep the mindset of these past two games and how they made us feel,” he said. “I think we’re back to normal, and we can be even better than normal. I don’t think we’ve reached our potential yet.”