Connor Locke
July 2003 Celebrity
Connor Locke, a rising high school senior goalie, shows signs of a
great future ahead in lacrosse. This past year, he was the starting
goalie for his Varsity Lacrosse team at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes
School in Alexandria, VA. During his 23 game season, Connor recorded
272 saves and allowed 161 goals for a 63% save average. Despite the
fact that team spent 102:30 min in "man down" for the season,
his Goal Against Average was 7.0. He received "The Saint"
Award at the end of the 2003 season and has been named co-captain of
both the Varsity Lacrosse and Varsity Wrestling team for the upcoming
year.
Connor most recently played a remarkable game in the 1st Session of
the "Top 205" All-Star team in College Park, MD. Attending
the game was Chris Parandian, a former three-time All-Patriot League
Goalie at Lehigh University, who commented:
“As I watched Connor at
the Top 205 Allstar game, I realized I was watching a cross between
Quint Kessenich and Brian Carcaterra in action. He is blessed with
being a natural ball stopper – something you cannot teach. He
is also very solid outside the net. I will not be surprised when he
is playing in a final four game one day. ”
Connor's high school Coach Andy Taibl also praises Connor's outstanding
abilities inside and outside of the goal. Not only is Taibl Connor's
coach, but he is a former All-American goalie at Washington College,
recipient of the C. Markland Kelly Trophy as the Top Goalie in DIII,
and he completed his Washington career by leading his team to win the
NCAA tournament.
“Connor has worked very
hard to be an efficient goalie. He comes to practice/games every day
very focused and looking to compete and improve every time he is in
the goal, which in my experience is very rare for a high school player.
Connor is also a quick learner. We often make minor adjustments to
his game, and his ability to make those changes so quickly and effortlessly
is a huge benefit. Finally, Connor is just a great kid with a tireless
work effort for everything he does (school and sports) and he always
brings the right attitude to the field.”
Interview
Goalie Nation: Why do you play goalie?
Connor Locke: I started playing goalie when my summer league goalie
was absent at a game and I was the only one to volunteer. I realized
that it was a good spot for me because I can always make an impact on
the game’s outcome.
GN: How did you feel during the Top 205 all-star game on July
1? Did you know this was your day to excel?
CL: I was very excited to be picked for the Top 205 All-Star team and
when I first saw my name on the list, I knew I had a great opportunity.
I had a good feeling going into the game and I am glad I was able to
perform well that night.
GN: How did you mentally prepare for the game?
CL: Preparing mentally for this game seemed easy to me from the start.
I knew that with all the hype of the college coaches watching, and the
honor to play in the game, all I had to do was to stay composed and
be relaxed.
GN: Describe your worst days in the goal. What do you feel
like? How do you pull yourself out?
CL: When I have a bad day in the goal I try not to dwell on the negatives
too much. Normally, Iwill remember what did not feel right that particular
day, I’ll watch tape, and then I’ll do some drills against
the wall while focusing on seeing the ball and having perfect fundamentals.
GN: Do you have a memorable save, whether from the all-star
game or another game this past season?
CL: I do have a couple memorable saves from this past season and from
the 205 All-Star game. But, something that I have learned over the years
is that with good fundamentals great saves will come on their own.
GN: How have you improved most as a goalie during this past
year?
CL: First, I began the season in the best physical condition ever having
come straight from wrestling season into lacrosse. But, the way that
I have improved the most during the past year is not really anything
physical, it had to do with my mental game. I have worked to become
more disciplined in my technique and to anticipate where the shooter
is going to try to place the ball.
GN: Have you gelled with the defense of your high school team?
CL: Yes, we definitely got pretty in sync with each other. Our team
spent way too much time in “man down” situations than we
should have so my defensive guys and I relied on each other to overcome
those situations. They are all some of my good friends and we played
well as a unit.
GN: Who is your role model and why?
CL: I don’t have just one particular role model. I have had many
goalie coaches, older goalies, and people off the field who have helped
my game and who have been there for me when I needed advice, instructions,
and somebody to talk to. |
