Metea Valley senior Alyssa Gluting was only 3 when her mother, Evelyn, enrolled her in her first soccer class.
Gluting immediately liked the sport, but it wasn’t until several years later that she made a fateful decision.
“In fourth grade, we didn’t have a goalie, and my coach asked if there were any volunteers,” Gluting said. “I raised my hand. There was two others girls who raised their hand too.”
This did not go over well with Gluting’s mother.
“When I told my mom when I got home, she was so mad at me,” Gluting said. “She said, ‘Why would you play goalie?’”
That’s a legitimate question. Life between the pipes is not for the faint of heart. It requires a combination of toughness, fearlessness and leadership. Soccer insiders often say you’ve got to be a little crazy to be a goalkeeper.
“I know, I hear that all the time,” Gluting said. “But I ended up liking it. I always played half the time in the field and half goalie until I got to be a freshman in high school. Then I was like, ‘OK, you know what? Goalie is my position.’”
Gluting stopped playing in the field at that point and reluctantly gave up her other two sports, volleyball and swimming, after her freshman year to concentrate solely on goalkeeping.
What attracted Gluting to the position?
“I think the chance to be a leader out there and kind of direct the defense,” she said. “I like being aggressive out there, especially being able to come off my line and claim a ball.”
Gluting made Metea Valley’s varsity team as a sophomore. She recorded a 1.14 goals-against average in seven games as the backup to Julia Straub, helping the Mustangs win their first state championship.
After Straub graduated, Gluting took over as the starter. As a junior, the Fairfield recruit made 112 saves and posted a 1.00 goals-against average and 10 shutouts as the Mustangs went 19-1-3 and reached a sectional final.
Gluting has continued her stellar play this season. She has a 0.57 goals-against average and three shutouts in the first seven games.
“That experience goes a long way,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “She constantly wants feedback and constantly wants to be there for her team and to be counted on to make big saves, and she does.”
Gluting had to make three saves, none particularly difficult, during the Mustangs’ 1-0 DuPage Valley Conference victory against visiting Neuqua Valley in Aurora on Thursday. The win gave Metea Valley (6-1-1, 2-0) the early boost in its quest for a third straight DVC title.
Junior midfielder Olivia Hernandez, a Marquette recruit who scored the only goal against Neuqua Valley (2-5, 0-2), said Gluting’s play is vitally important.
“She has good technique in knowing where the ball will go, and she’s very calm under pressure,” Hernandez said. “That’s really important, to be able to trust your goalie.”
That’s particularly true of the Mustangs, who are playing three defenders instead of the usual four. Two established veterans, senior Kyleigh Jannisch and junior Sydney Phillips, have been joined by freshman Jessica Terada.
They’ve all meshed with Gluting.
“I feel like I do well under pressure,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of experience in close games like that, so it pushes me to the next level to make that last save.”
Gluting is relishing every minute of her last season with the Mustangs, and not just because of all the winning.
“I’m so happy to be part of this program,” she said. “It’s really a family environment, and it kind of feels like a college team because of how much team bonding stuff we do, how many community service things we’ve done throughout the years.
“I look forward to going to practice every day. I love the environment with the coaches. I’m so grateful to be a part of Metea soccer.”
The Mustangs, who donated toys to St. Louis Children’s Hospital on a two-game trip to the St. Louis area last weekend, are grateful to have Gluting on the team.
“On and off the field, she’s just really kind to everyone, and she’s supportive,” Hernandez said. “On the field, she’ll tell people where to go and communicate.”
Gluting, of course, had no way to tell how far she could go in soccer. But that fourth grade decision turned out pretty well.
“(Playing Division I soccer) is sometimes unbelievable to think about,” Gluting said. “I’m so excited and grateful for the opportunity.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
