Brown currently leads the American Athletic Conference with a total of 80 saves after 15 games. The junior goalkeeper earned a career-best nine saves in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Tulsa. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
The word “easy” gets thrown around in every sport. Fans and critics alike believe there’s that one position that they could play themselves, or that it doesn’t take much to fulfill the role of a certain position. In soccer, goalkeeper is sometimes considered to be that kind of position. UH junior goalkeeper Jordan Brown says that is not the case.
The Cougar spoke with Brown about the misconceptions, her thoughts on what it really takes to be a goalie, and how a quiet, easygoing player has turned into a vocal and expressive leader who has formed her own niche while transferring to the University.
The Cougar: During the team’s loss, you had nine saves. How did it feel walking away without a win in a game that turned out to be a career-high game for you?
Jordan Brown: It was exciting. I had knee surgery a few years ago, and felt like that game was the best I’d played in a long time. I walked out of the building with a new confidence. Of course there is more that I’d like to improve on; I watched the film and I was like ‘fix this, fix that,’ but walking away from the game I felt good. I know that I can keep pushing, moving forward.
TC: So you never think ‘I wish I was a position player’?
JB: No, never. I have so much respect for them. What they do on that field and the skill and control that they have is incredible. I could never do that. It makes me nervous just watching them, but I know this is my position, and it’s what I have done for so long. I don’t want to play the field. I love being in the action, and getting all the shots. It’s my favorite thing to make that last minute penalty kick save or breakaway save. I would never want to do anything else.
TC: What is the toughest part about your job?
JB: There are people who have the misconception that it’s not a tough position, but it is. I think the biggest thing is the mentality you have to have. If you start doubting yourself and how well you’re doing it starts to affect your play, but you have to mentally stay in it the entire time because you never know — you may make that last-minute save or could be called in at any moment at any time for a random shot or an upper 90.
TC: You also played at Tennessee Tech prior to coming to UH. How has your experience been since coming here?
JB: When I first stepped on the field during the first practice I was overwhelmed, wondering, ‘What did I get myself into?’ But it has been an honor to play for UH and to have them believe in me and to play for these girls. I’ve loved every minute of it. I have seen a lot of changes in myself over the last year and that’s giving me hope to potentially pursue after. England is my favorite place in the world, so I’d love to go overseas and play there, but working and playing here I feel like I have improved as a goalkeeper and as an athlete.
I am doing things in the goal that I don’t think I have ever done before and I’m finally finding the level I would’ve had going forward from my junior year of high school until I tore my PCL. I feel like I’m picking up where I left off and I want to give my team everything I’ve got. Although I hate losing, I hate digging the ball out of the back of the net, but selfishly it has been kind of nice to see myself step up from where I should’ve been four years ago.
