Photo courtesy of www.wcupagoldenrams.com.
West Chester University Men’s Soccer is off to a great start with a record of 8-2-1 and second in the PSAC. The Golden Rams are currently ranked 23rd in the nation. A lot of this momentum has come from their goalie, Dan Good. Good has seen success early in the season having forced five shut outs and allowing opponents to score only nine total goals through 11 games. Even more impressive, Good is a true freshman. He has helped lead the Golden Rams to all of this success while making the difficult transition from living at home as a high school student to juggling a college class load in an entirely new setting.
During a sit-down with Good I asked him a handful of questions to see what it is like to be a starting goalie at a nationally ranked division II school, while also getting adjusted to college life.
Good agreed there are many challenges to being new to college. “The transition from high school to college is definitely a thing. I think college is harder and takes a lot more effort. I do work whenever I can so I don’t procrastinate.” said the young goalie. West Chester University Athletics has an average GPA of over 3.2. It is a priority that the student-athletes have success both on and off the field.
‘The transition from high school to college is definitely a thing … takes a lot more effort.’
Being away from your home and family while trying to get a grasp on college is certainly demanding. Good went to Downingtown East High School which is about a 25 minute drive to West Chester. “It helps that I am very close to home. The transition of being away from family hasn’t been that bad. It helps that they come to every game.”
At just 18 years old, Good has proven he can play collegiate soccer at a high level. He has already been awarded the honors of PSAC defensive player of the week and West Chester University Athlete of the Week this month alone. Dan attributes his early success to the help of his teammates. “I think in the beginning, it was a challenge playing at a new level, but with the support of my teammates, they have pushed me to better and it has helped a lot”.
Good has five shut outs through 11 games and the Golden Rams’ opponents have been held to an average of .91 goals per game. “I think the best feeling has to be when the final whistle blows and we win. To me, stats don’t matter unless we win,” said Good.
The Golden Rams lost in the PSAC championship game and the national tournament championship game in 2018 despite being a front runner. Like last year, the team has been playing great, outscoring their opponents 21-9. Knowing that the road ahead of them will not be easy, Good explained what the team’s greatest strength has been this season. “The teams strength this season has been playing together. There have been many times where we have scored an overtime winner or a goal in the final seconds to win. I think that shows that we are very close and will play hard for each other with our goals in mind,” said Good.
‘We have to play great defense and protect our home field and play our best against strong opponents.’
Good will be a major addition to the team this year going into the tournament. This will be Good’s first appearance in a tough PSAC bracket. Good expressed what he feels is going to be the difference maker in this years tournaments. “We have to play great defense and protect our home field and play our best against other strong opponents. Hopefully, we continue our momentum this year and complete our goal of winning the PSAC. If we play well enough to qualify for the NCAA tournament, the key will be staying mentally locked in.”
Good is a humble young man who credits much of his success to his teammates. good is more than reliable defending the net and whether he’ll admit it or not, has been a huge part of the early season success. The Rams sure are lucky to have him on our side for the next three seasons to come!
Aidan Freud is a third-year student majoring in professional studies and minoring in journalism. AF848353@wcupa.edu