University of Minnesota Athletics
Between the Pipes with Lindsey Dare
10/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
In the net is where you will find one of Gopher soccer’s brightest and most uplifting stories of 2006 - sophomore goalkeeper Lindsey Dare. Despite the questions and uncertainty regarding the distribution of playing time between her and highly-touted freshman Chelsey Turner, Dare has answered the challenge and exceeded all expectations. The mood is light between Dare and Turner, who have become good friends during the year.
“Turner and I get along really well and we really clicked at the start of the year,” Dare stated. “I love that kid - she is so fun to hang out with and play soccer with. She is a phenomenal goalkeeper so training with her has taught me so many things. It has made me a better keeper. We’re both learning a lot and Kyle (Assistant Coach Kyle Singer) is coaching us really well.”
A product of Apple Valley High School, Dare was a three-sport standout in soccer, basketball and track. In soccer, she earned all-state, all-metro and all-conference honors and was named Player of the Game at the Puma Senior All-Star Classic. The humble goalkeeper admits that despite her achievements in high school, she is surprised to be experiencing success at the Division I level. She also knows that watching former Gopher goalie Molly Schneider over the last two seasons impacted her development.
“I basically learned how to be a goalkeeper from her,” Dare said. “I never really had a goalie coach growing up. I was a very low-key goalkeeper in high school. It’s kind of a miracle that I’m here playing Division I soccer, so coming up and having Molly Schneider in front of me to watch and learn from was incredible.”
If this year’s statistics are any sort of measure on how much Dare learned while backing up Schneider last year, she passed with flying colors. The omnipresent netminder has been collecting saves like they are going out of style, posting a Big Ten-leading 90 stops despite playing in only two-thirds of the team’s games. Dare also claims a ridiculous .918 save percentage, which is good for first in the Big Ten Conference and ranks fourth in the nation. Ironically, her 0.67 goals-against-average is on pace to shatter the Minnesota single-season record of 0.84 recorded by Schneider last season. Unconcerned about statistics or individual accolades, Dare was rather surprised when presented with the news.
“Are you serious?” she asked. “I honestly had no idea. It’s kind of exciting. If you would have told me three years ago that I was going to be fourth in the nation, I would have laughed in your face. My goal is not to be the best goalkeeper in the nation. I just want to be part of a successful team and do what I can to help us win. Whatever accolades come with that are just a bonus.”
Whether you go by numbers or by the word of her coaches and teammates, Dare has brought stability this year’s team. Head Coach Mikki Denney Wright understands the importance of Dare’s contribution, especially her five shutouts, in giving the Gophers a chance to win each time they take the field.
“It helps so much,” Denney Wright said. “If you can hold and shut out a team you always have a chance, so I think that’s really important for us. Her growth has been tremendous.”
Dare’s hard work and team-oriented attitude has played a major part in this year’s success, but she is quick to dish out the credit for her on-field performance to her coaches.
“Our coaching staff is incredible,” she commented. “They sacrifice so much for us and they work their tails off. They will do anything to make this program great. I love the staff, every single one of them.”
As the 2006 campaign comes to a close, Dare’s incredible run between the pipes will surely hold its place in the Minnesota record books for years to come. With her sights set on the future and helping the Golden Gophers reach a new level of success, Dare’s happy-go-lucky outlook and steadfast determination will be cornerstones in the foundation of an exciting 2007 season.
story by Matt Schroeder, athletic communications student assistant
