A large contributor to the success of the men’s soccer team’s so far this year is sophomore goal keeper Chris McDonald. He has made 33 saves and has only been scored on nine times during the 12 games this year.
McDonald is from Newton, Massachusetts and has been playing soccer since he was five years old. He attributes his success as goalie to years of game experience and high-quality goalkeeping coaches.
“Our goalkeeper coach, Bobby McLaughlan, has probably helped me the most, and I feel like I’ve made huge strides since I came to this school due to his abilities as a coach,” McDonald said.
McDonald loves being a member of the Puget Sound men’s soccer program. “Being on this team is like having an extended family. We get to spend so much time together that we really get to know each other well and feel completely comfortable around each other. Playing soccer is definitely one of the greatest experiences I have had, but also being around the team and coaching staff so much has helped me develop a group of very close friends,” he said.
One game this year that sticks out to McDonald was the double over-time tie game against Whitworth. This was a tough game for defense because Whitworth out-shot Puget Sound 19-3, but McDonald managed to make six saves in this game. “That is a tough road trip for us, probably our most difficult of the year, and I felt like our defense had a great game and stifled their attack really well.”
McDonald is excited for the rest of the season. “We’re looked at as a young team, with around 6 of our 11 starters being freshmen. So it has been fun to watch our team grow and improve over the course of the season. As we move forward I’m excited for us to reach our potential and be a serious contender for the conference championship, which if we keep improving as a team, I think is a very realistic goal,” he said.