 |
Matthew
Wheeler
Wesleyan University #17
Division III
2003 Goalie of the
Week, May 5 |
 |
| Name |
Matther Wheeler |
| Year |
Junior |
| School |
Wesleyan University |
| Height |
5'9 |
| Weight |
165 |
| Lacrosse
Number & Why |
17. No reason
in particular. The kid that wore it the year before I got here set
the scoring record so I figured it could be good luck. |
| High
School & Hometown |
Brunswick School,
Greenwich CT |
High
School Achievements
& Recognition |
League champions
all four years I was there. All FAA sophomore through senior year.
Freshman year, team ranked 9th by US Lacrosse. |
| College
Achievements
& Recognition |
Started 14 of
16 games as a freshman. Started all 16 as a sophomore. This past
year, Wesleyan won the Little Three Championship by defeating both
Amherst College and Williams College. I had 187 saves this year
with a .57 save percentage and 9.0 goals against average. |
| Years
Played Lax |
Been playing
since I was in sixth grade. |
| Years
Played Goalie |
Before ninth
grade, my uncle told me to try goalie. He himself had been a goalie
at UMass and thought I had good hands. Since then, I have loved
the position. |
| Other
Positions |
I played attack
before goalie. |
| Preferred
Gear |
I like the warrior
abyss because it is simple. No offset, just right. I use Brine L
33 k gloves, which are essential so that you do not break your thumb.
|
| Favorite
food |
Hard to say.
Cereal is a very important food group for a busy college student.
I like steak and pasta mostly. |
| Favorite
cd |
Guns N Roses
"appetite for destruction," but I like most all music. |
| Favorite
movie |
Tommy Boy perhaps.
This is a very hard question. |
| |
|
Why do
you play lacrosse? Why are you a goalie?
I play because I like being in a pressure situation the whole game.
Even when the ball is in the offensive end, I am trying to figure
out how the defense could have stopped the last possession or what
I could have done better. A goalie should always be focused. |
How important
is the goalie position?
Any coach would admit that the goalie position may be the most important
on the field. A goalie that is on his game can really change a game.
The ability to make the point blank save and then start the fast
break is so important in a team gaining momentum. |
Any advice
for aspiring goalies?
As a young goalie, you will let in goals. That is a fact every goalie
must accept. Its what you do with a setback that makes the goalie.
If you let a goal get to you, you will not succeed. You must embrace
a setback and learn from it. |
Quote
regarding the goalie position
We are a rare breed. |
