SPARKS, Md. — Jenny Levy’s a fan of what she calls the “modern-day goalie.”
Her ideal netminder has handles. Stick stills. The athleticism to keep the other team guessing. Not to mention a brazen confidence to take chances out of the crease and down the field.
Levy currently has four such goalies at her disposal with the U.S. women’s national team at Fall Classic. On Friday night, it was Liz Hogan and Caylee Waters who shut down Canada. On Saturday, Gussie Johns and Taylor Moreno split time between the pipes in a 13-5 win over defending NCAA champion Boston College.
Boston College certainly lacked a significant weapon with 2021 Tewaaraton Award winner Charlotte North suiting up for the red, white and blue at Fall Classic, but the Eagles offense still showed life with four goals in the first half.
Moreno took to the cage in the second half and dazzled, making six saves and allowing just one goal.
“She’s really grown and matured over the years, and eventually, it’s going to shine through,” Hogan said. “It really shined through tonight.”
At Huntington (N.Y.) High School, Moreno played in a timeshare with several other goalkeepers. Ask the graduate student at North Carolina, and she’s frank in talking about how she thought she deserved more time.
As a redshirt-freshman at UNC in 2018, Moreno broke out in the second half of the spring. Her 2019 season was even better. But it was during the COVID-shortened 2020 season in which Moreno made a statement.
“We saw moments of brilliance in 2018 in the ACC championship, that whole weekend. She was the MVP.
“All goalies have to grow mentally. You know how talented they are, skill-wise, and I’ve seen it with her since 2020. She’s at a different level.”
Moreno didn’t let the ball sit in her stick long after her first save Saturday. With a streaking Emily Parros creating separation some 40 yards away, Moreno delivered a low-arching outlet pass that hit Parros — one of her coaches at UNC — in stride. The possession failed to deliver points, but it ignited a standing-room only crowd that braved the chilly, rainy weather throughout the day’s festivities.
They pair even tried the same play later in the half and executed it to similar perfection — only for the Boston College defense to prevent points once again.
“I think the big thing is that they want [the goalies] to push tempo, and they want us to make those smart clears,” Moreno said. “Emily is just so fast, and she broke out immediately. I know that if I can lead them on, it’ll be up to her to catch up to it.”
Moreno, a talented artist, won’t shy away from expressing herself in graphic design or goalie pads. Confident enough to kickstart transition with a heave down the field, Moreno also recognizes her standing as the youngest goalie on the roster.
To that effect, she’s doing a lot of listening.
“Knowing that I’m the youngest [goalie] here and I have the least amount of professional and out-of-college experience, I just want to sit back and let myself learn their tendencies and what they do,” Moreno said. “The goal coming into this for me is for it to be a learning experience. I have huge respect for them, and I’m trying to earn their respect.”
Consider respect warranted. There’s little hierarchy among the quartet of keepers. Hogan called this group of goalies one of the most fun she’s ever been around. Moreno said they go off into “goalie world” with assistant coach Amy Altig and make up games, laugh and crack jokes.
As Moreno put it, “goalie vibes are high.”
“Coach Altig is just amazing at setting the right tone,” Hogan said. “We’re competing against one another, but at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team and we want the best for each other.”
A defense that settled down after a back-and-forth first quarter helped make things easier for Johns and Moreno. Emma Trenchard, Lizzie Colson and Alice Mercer earned the start, and Parros was stout on that end, too. Colson led the team with three ground balls as the U.S. earned a 14-10 advantage on 50-50s.
The offense benefited from the extra opportunities, especially late. The U.S. led 11-5 with less than a minute to play before quick goals 11 seconds apart from Kayla Treanor and Kylie Ohlmiller. Izzy Scane assisted both tallies.
The U.S., which outscored Canada and Boston College 32-8 at Fall Classic, scored eight of the final nine goals Saturday. A pesky Eagles offense found its opportunities, but Moreno was almost always ready for the stop.
“It’s a really difficult position,” Levy said, “and she just does it so easily. … It’s an art.”
NOTES
Kayla Treanor led the U.S. with three goals on three shots against the team she won a national championship with as an assistant in 2021 … Charlotte North scored twice against her current teammates … Kylie Ohlmiller tied Treanor for the team lead with three points on two goals and one assist … Taylor Cummings and Ally Mastroianni each controlled three draws, helping the U.S. hold a 12-7 edge in the circle … Jenn Medjid led Boston College with two goals … Courtney Weeks (two assists) left the game with an apparent knee injury and did not return … Rachel Hall made six saves, including two on North, her roommate.