Colorado University Athletics
Scout Watson works on her punting skills during training on Sunday.
Photo by: Andy Schlichting
Position Preview: Goalkeepers
August 07, 2017 | Soccer
Tompkins emerged as the starter last season, but the battle between her and Watson remains for 2017
BOULDER – Jalen Tompkins had a record-breaking season last year as a redshirt freshman, but the success of a year ago means little a year later as she is back into a competition for the starting goalkeeper spot with redshirt junior Scout Watson.
The two players were locked in a neck-and-neck competition for the starting spot three matches into the 2016 season when Watson went down with an injury for two weeks, giving Tompkins an opportunity to play fulltime. She took the job and ran with it.
"Scout unfortunately took a little injury and JJ took [the starting role], put a stranglehold on it, and performed well and made it tough to get Scout back on [the field]," head coach Danny Sanchez said.
In her first game after Watson went down, Tompkins made 12 saves in an overtime loss at Missouri, breaking the CU record for most saves in a game by a freshman. Over a nine-game stretch in September and October, Tompkins allowed just two goals. In the process, she broke the school record for consecutive shutout minutes at 480:43 and led the Buffs on a 10-game winning streak. She topped the previous consecutive shutout minutes mark of 477:11 set by Annie Brunner in 2013.
"It was great year for me personally and for the defense as a whole," Tompkins. "Honestly, Scout is a great goalkeeper and I have a hard time separating us in my own head. When she got hurt, I was consistent with everything, so once you get into a rhythm, it's hard to break that rhythm up."
For the season, Tompkins broke every freshman goalkeeping record at CU, including goals-against average (0.83), saves (100), save percentage (.855), wins (15) and solo shutouts (7). Her win total tied the record for all classes and her save percentage was the second-best ever at Colorado.
Despite her performance on the field last season, she is back in a competition for the starting position a year later. And that's no knock on Tompkins, more a testament to the abilities of Watson.
Watson had several strong performances before and after her injury last season, including making two saves in 22 scoreless minutes against national champion Southern California as a substitute on Oct. 30. She also made four starts in 2015 and was part of two shutout performances by the Buffs that year.
Team Captains
Sanchez views Tompkins and Watson as two of his best players, regardless of position, and looks at their leadership qualities as the best on the team. As a result, both players were voted as team captains for the 2017 season. It is the first time in Sanchez's six seasons in Boulder that both of his team captains have been goalkeepers.
"They bring a professional attitude, that's why they're captains," Sanchez said. "They bring a professional attitude every day of training and throughout the summer. They're great leaders for the group. As far as their work with Jason [Green], they compete hard every day. That's what we need at every position...I really like the way they take care of themselves and how professional they are."
A Long Line Of Goalkeepers
CU has built a reputation of strong goalkeeping throughout its 21-year history, highlighted by Jessica Keller in the mid-2000s, but particularly more recently under Sanchez. Brunner was the first goalkeeper of Sanchez's tenure and holds several CU records. She played professionally for two years in Switzerland and in the NWSL with the Western New York Flash. After Brunner's graduation, Kate Scheele transferred to CU and took control of the position for two seasons, leading the Buffs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and played one year in Sweden and in the NWSL with the Houston Dash.
Tompkins and Watson are next in line of the tradition of excellence at the goalkeeping position and Sanchez believes both could continue on to play professionally after CU.
A big part of the success at the position has been due to associate head coach and goalkeeping coach Jason Green. The two have coached together throughout Sanchez's tenure at CU, and previously while the two were at Wyoming and Mesa Community College.
"A lot of credit goes to Jason, how he prepares them mentally and physically and tactically to play to their strengths and compete at this high level," Sanchez said. "We feel very good about where we're at in goal and in the future as well."
The Future With McPherson
The Buffs have a third goalkeeper on their roster this season, freshman Caitlin McPherson. A local product from Cherry Creek High School, has tremendous potential to push Tompkins and Watson over the next couple of seasons and carry the tradition of excellence when she gets an opportunity to take over the starting role. She has great size at 6-feet tall and also brings athleticism to the field.
Learning behind a starter for a year or two is nothing new as Tompkins and Watson both redshirted a year while Scheele was the starter, and it can provide an opportunity for McPherson to grow as a player.
"She knew coming in that there would be a couple of very good goalkeepers in front of her with experience," Sanchez said. "JJ and Scout went through the same thing. This is an opportunity to really develop this year, to get stronger, to be more explosive and have an option to train hard every day. And she needs to be ready to play because you never know what's going to happen."
Who Will Start?
While McPherson will hopefully not be a factor this season unless injuries occur, allowing her more time to develop, the question of who will start has not been answered yet. As with last season, Tompkins and Watson are both competing for that role. But that's not a bad problem to have as both have proven to be good enough to start in the Pac-12.
Tompkins says that last year's success is irrelevant and whoever earns the starting position will have to earn it by their performance in fall camp and early during the regular season.
"I still believe it's a head-to-head battle," Tompkins said, despite her in-game success in 2016. "Scout's a great goalkeeper; I can't say that enough times. At no time do I feel complacent in my position. She's shown out at camp and I've tried to as well. This season is all about earning a spot again. It's not about maintaining, it's about earning again. Nobody has earned any position yet. For me, I really need to come out more focused and do that."
The difference between the two players is negligible. Sanchez notes Watson's athleticism as she was a multi-sport athlete in high school and has become much stronger and more powerful since arriving at CU. Tompkins has also made a strong commitment to strength and conditioning, reads the game well and has excellent communication skills with the team on the field.
"If you're going to rate them, I'd put them both [among our top six players]," Sanchez said. "Unfortunately they play a position where you don't typically sub or split. But like I told them is what you did last year, just like any player, doesn't mean anything. 'How are you going to come into this year, how are you going to perform this year?'
"We feel very comfortable with either of them, but at some point, one of them is probably going to take the lead and the other one is just going to have to be ready because injuries do happen and performances do happen. [The competition to start] will go all the way up to the last game of the season against Utah."
The two players were locked in a neck-and-neck competition for the starting spot three matches into the 2016 season when Watson went down with an injury for two weeks, giving Tompkins an opportunity to play fulltime. She took the job and ran with it.
"Scout unfortunately took a little injury and JJ took [the starting role], put a stranglehold on it, and performed well and made it tough to get Scout back on [the field]," head coach Danny Sanchez said.
In her first game after Watson went down, Tompkins made 12 saves in an overtime loss at Missouri, breaking the CU record for most saves in a game by a freshman. Over a nine-game stretch in September and October, Tompkins allowed just two goals. In the process, she broke the school record for consecutive shutout minutes at 480:43 and led the Buffs on a 10-game winning streak. She topped the previous consecutive shutout minutes mark of 477:11 set by Annie Brunner in 2013.
"It was great year for me personally and for the defense as a whole," Tompkins. "Honestly, Scout is a great goalkeeper and I have a hard time separating us in my own head. When she got hurt, I was consistent with everything, so once you get into a rhythm, it's hard to break that rhythm up."
For the season, Tompkins broke every freshman goalkeeping record at CU, including goals-against average (0.83), saves (100), save percentage (.855), wins (15) and solo shutouts (7). Her win total tied the record for all classes and her save percentage was the second-best ever at Colorado.
Despite her performance on the field last season, she is back in a competition for the starting position a year later. And that's no knock on Tompkins, more a testament to the abilities of Watson.
Watson had several strong performances before and after her injury last season, including making two saves in 22 scoreless minutes against national champion Southern California as a substitute on Oct. 30. She also made four starts in 2015 and was part of two shutout performances by the Buffs that year.
Team Captains
Sanchez views Tompkins and Watson as two of his best players, regardless of position, and looks at their leadership qualities as the best on the team. As a result, both players were voted as team captains for the 2017 season. It is the first time in Sanchez's six seasons in Boulder that both of his team captains have been goalkeepers.
"They bring a professional attitude, that's why they're captains," Sanchez said. "They bring a professional attitude every day of training and throughout the summer. They're great leaders for the group. As far as their work with Jason [Green], they compete hard every day. That's what we need at every position...I really like the way they take care of themselves and how professional they are."
A Long Line Of Goalkeepers
CU has built a reputation of strong goalkeeping throughout its 21-year history, highlighted by Jessica Keller in the mid-2000s, but particularly more recently under Sanchez. Brunner was the first goalkeeper of Sanchez's tenure and holds several CU records. She played professionally for two years in Switzerland and in the NWSL with the Western New York Flash. After Brunner's graduation, Kate Scheele transferred to CU and took control of the position for two seasons, leading the Buffs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and played one year in Sweden and in the NWSL with the Houston Dash.
Tompkins and Watson are next in line of the tradition of excellence at the goalkeeping position and Sanchez believes both could continue on to play professionally after CU.
A big part of the success at the position has been due to associate head coach and goalkeeping coach Jason Green. The two have coached together throughout Sanchez's tenure at CU, and previously while the two were at Wyoming and Mesa Community College.
"A lot of credit goes to Jason, how he prepares them mentally and physically and tactically to play to their strengths and compete at this high level," Sanchez said. "We feel very good about where we're at in goal and in the future as well."
The Future With McPherson
The Buffs have a third goalkeeper on their roster this season, freshman Caitlin McPherson. A local product from Cherry Creek High School, has tremendous potential to push Tompkins and Watson over the next couple of seasons and carry the tradition of excellence when she gets an opportunity to take over the starting role. She has great size at 6-feet tall and also brings athleticism to the field.
Learning behind a starter for a year or two is nothing new as Tompkins and Watson both redshirted a year while Scheele was the starter, and it can provide an opportunity for McPherson to grow as a player.
"She knew coming in that there would be a couple of very good goalkeepers in front of her with experience," Sanchez said. "JJ and Scout went through the same thing. This is an opportunity to really develop this year, to get stronger, to be more explosive and have an option to train hard every day. And she needs to be ready to play because you never know what's going to happen."
Who Will Start?
While McPherson will hopefully not be a factor this season unless injuries occur, allowing her more time to develop, the question of who will start has not been answered yet. As with last season, Tompkins and Watson are both competing for that role. But that's not a bad problem to have as both have proven to be good enough to start in the Pac-12.
Tompkins says that last year's success is irrelevant and whoever earns the starting position will have to earn it by their performance in fall camp and early during the regular season.
"I still believe it's a head-to-head battle," Tompkins said, despite her in-game success in 2016. "Scout's a great goalkeeper; I can't say that enough times. At no time do I feel complacent in my position. She's shown out at camp and I've tried to as well. This season is all about earning a spot again. It's not about maintaining, it's about earning again. Nobody has earned any position yet. For me, I really need to come out more focused and do that."
The difference between the two players is negligible. Sanchez notes Watson's athleticism as she was a multi-sport athlete in high school and has become much stronger and more powerful since arriving at CU. Tompkins has also made a strong commitment to strength and conditioning, reads the game well and has excellent communication skills with the team on the field.
"If you're going to rate them, I'd put them both [among our top six players]," Sanchez said. "Unfortunately they play a position where you don't typically sub or split. But like I told them is what you did last year, just like any player, doesn't mean anything. 'How are you going to come into this year, how are you going to perform this year?'
"We feel very comfortable with either of them, but at some point, one of them is probably going to take the lead and the other one is just going to have to be ready because injuries do happen and performances do happen. [The competition to start] will go all the way up to the last game of the season against Utah."
Players Mentioned
Monday, April 06
Tuesday, November 25
Thursday, November 20
Thursday, November 20