In April 2023, Northwestern lacrosse goalkeeper Molly Laliberty went on the Lax Goalie Rat podcast and made a statement about the goalie position that stuck out.
“There’s no other position on the field where you look at the scoreboard and it says, for everyone to see, how many mistakes you’ve made,” Laliberty said of goalkeeping. That quote was what made me truly realize just how much pressure comes with being a goalie, and it gave me a newfound respect for the position.
A goalie carries the weight of the entire team. They are the only player on the field with no other of their kind to stand alongside them and must perform on their own when the offense and defense can’t protect the ball.