Skyline soccer: Alli Spencer profile

In early November, I interviewed Skyline (Utah) soccer goalkeeper Alli Spencer. She managed to dominate games with her actions in the net and that helped the Eagles have such a good year. Here is the article that appeared in this year's Skyline girls soccer yearbook.

Alli Spencer:

Her goalkeeping intimidated opponents

and helped create Skyline’s personality

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             Alli Spencer was an all-state pick and few could argue her stature on the Skyline girls soccer team.

            In two seasons as the Eagles’ goalkeeper, she helped the team claim 18 shutouts. This season, she was on every opponent’s mind as they prepared how to play Skyline.
            “She’s an intimidating person in the box. She’s full of confidence,” said Skyline coach Yamil Castillo. “She intimidated the forwards on the other teams with physical play and aggressiveness.”
            Spencer was born in Calgary, Alberta, then moved to Houston before coming to Salt Lake City in 2006. She started playing in Texas, and was always the keeper. She never considered playing anywhere else.
            She joined the Skyline varsity as a freshmen and viewed herself as an understudy to Anna Cassell, who also pitched a few shutouts for the Eagles and went on to play in college.
            “Anna and I have pretty similar playing styles,” Spencer said. “She was a fantastic player and a great leader. I’m sure I picked up things from her that I don’t even notice. It’s nice that Skyline has this goalkeeping dynasty.”
            Skyline’s success also gave Spencer a lot of playing time and a chance to build her own reputation.
            “She could block a ball with her eyes closed,” said Castillo.”When she’s out on the field, she makes her presence known.”
            Castillo pointed to Skyline’s victory over Timpanogos in the 4A quarterfinals as one her best. But Spencer said that was one of her many great memories.
            “In region, it was always fun playing Olympus,” she said. “The teams we played in our playoff games were among the tougher teams. We loved to compete, so it was a great run. East also gave us a good first-round game. Bountiful, over the last two years … they’ve been one of my favorite opponents.”
            The Eagles, of course, fell to Bountiful in the semifinals this season. But in 2011, the two teams also played a memorable one in the quarterfinals.
            Bountiful led 1-0 until Ashley Abertson scored for Skyline in the final minute of regulation. The contest eventually went to penalty kicks. Spencer stopped one of Bountiful’s shots and then, when asked, nailed her chance at a PK to win the game.
            "I didn't think they (the coaches) would ask me to be in the shootout," Spencer said after that game. "We started working on shootouts the last week and I only kicked one yesterday and I did OK. When I heard a coach call my number, I just went out and did it. I didn't have time to be nervous."
            Spencer said she tried to be as offensive as possible while playing a defensive position.
            “It’s hard to explain, but you get like a ‘Superman complex.’  You feel like they’re never going to score on you,” she said. “There have been several games where I’ve felt like that. I just believed that I’d put in the work in 12 years of soccer and it wasn’t going to let me down.
            On the sideline, I’m sure it looked nerve wracking, but I wasn’t worried.”
            Spencer said her best saves came on shots that were never taken.
            “That’s my philosophy,” she said. “I try to be vocal on the field and organize the players in front of me. If you have a cohesive group in the four backs, there’s no reason for the goalie to do any work.”
            She said she became great friends with Skyline players like Kaitlin Parkin, Katelynne Halliday, Kate Watts, Julie Jacobs, Lucy Hegemann, and Liza Zenger.
            “There were three Kate’s, so I would use their last names,” she said. “It got confusing, but it’s happened before so they were good at figuring out who I was talking to.”
            Spencer’s success on the field and in the classroom has proven valuable and she planned to go to New York’s Columbia University and play soccer.
            “I’m hoping to study engineering and pretty much hang out in New York,” she said. “I’ll follow Skyline and I can always come back here and crack the whip.”