Top Performances Countdown: Tompkins Incredible Night vs. North Carolina
April 24, 2020 | Soccer
CU's soccer team was confident heading into a second-round NCAA Tournament match at No. 2-ranked and top seed North Carolina on Nov. 22. Why would an unseeded team be confident against a top seed, you ask? Because the Buffs had Jalen Tompkins in goal.
The senior holds nearly every school goalkeeping record. She had proven herself every week for four seasons playing in the Pac-12, the Conference of Champions. Tompkins did not let her team down.
The Phoenix native made nine saves, single-handedly keeping the Buffs within striking distance the entire match. Her game for the ages earns No. 4 on our countdown of top performances of 2019-20.
The only blemish in the 1-0 loss to the Tar Heels was an absolute rocket off a rebound from 20 yards out that found the back of the net in the 48th minute after Tompkins had made a save on the initial shot. No goalkeeper in the world was going to stop that shot. Not Hope Solo or Tim Howard in their prime.
All night she made spectacular save after spectacular save on a rare night when CU was outmatched talent-wise. One of her biggest moments of the game came in the 17th minute when she stopped back-to-back shots. The first was off a point-blank header that Tompkins stabbed out of midair and pushed over the net. She followed up with a two-handed save while on the ground, stopping UNC from inside the box again.
"It was a world-class performance," head coach Danny Sanchez said after the game. "The one goal they had, was kind of just a bouncing ball that she didn't really see until it was by her. Credit to the North Carolina [player]. It was a great hit. Everything she [JJ] saw, she dealt with. I've never seen a better performance by any goalkeeper. It couldn't be prouder of JJ but it's not a big surprise because we know what her quality is."
Tompkins was named second-team All-Pac-12 and second-team All-Pacific Region by the United Soccer Coaches after the season. She finished the year with 101 saves and eight solo shutouts. She also posted a 1.19 goals-against average and a .789 save percentage.
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Tompkins helped lead CU to three NCAA Tournaments in her four years in net and earned third-team All-Pac-12 as a sophomore and junior. She wrapped up her career as Colorado's all-time leader in wins (49), saves (369) and save percentage (.841). She also played the most games as a goalie (85) and started the most games in net (82). Her career .90 goals-against average ranks second and her 4.34 saves per game ranks third.
In February she signed to play professionally with Vålerenga Fotball Damer in Oslo, Norway. Vålerenga is in the top division in Norway and will play in the Champions League qualifying in 2020.
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The senior holds nearly every school goalkeeping record. She had proven herself every week for four seasons playing in the Pac-12, the Conference of Champions. Tompkins did not let her team down.
The Phoenix native made nine saves, single-handedly keeping the Buffs within striking distance the entire match. Her game for the ages earns No. 4 on our countdown of top performances of 2019-20.
The only blemish in the 1-0 loss to the Tar Heels was an absolute rocket off a rebound from 20 yards out that found the back of the net in the 48th minute after Tompkins had made a save on the initial shot. No goalkeeper in the world was going to stop that shot. Not Hope Solo or Tim Howard in their prime.
All night she made spectacular save after spectacular save on a rare night when CU was outmatched talent-wise. One of her biggest moments of the game came in the 17th minute when she stopped back-to-back shots. The first was off a point-blank header that Tompkins stabbed out of midair and pushed over the net. She followed up with a two-handed save while on the ground, stopping UNC from inside the box again.
"It was a world-class performance," head coach Danny Sanchez said after the game. "The one goal they had, was kind of just a bouncing ball that she didn't really see until it was by her. Credit to the North Carolina [player]. It was a great hit. Everything she [JJ] saw, she dealt with. I've never seen a better performance by any goalkeeper. It couldn't be prouder of JJ but it's not a big surprise because we know what her quality is."
Tompkins was named second-team All-Pac-12 and second-team All-Pacific Region by the United Soccer Coaches after the season. She finished the year with 101 saves and eight solo shutouts. She also posted a 1.19 goals-against average and a .789 save percentage.
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Tompkins helped lead CU to three NCAA Tournaments in her four years in net and earned third-team All-Pac-12 as a sophomore and junior. She wrapped up her career as Colorado's all-time leader in wins (49), saves (369) and save percentage (.841). She also played the most games as a goalie (85) and started the most games in net (82). Her career .90 goals-against average ranks second and her 4.34 saves per game ranks third.
In February she signed to play professionally with Vålerenga Fotball Damer in Oslo, Norway. Vålerenga is in the top division in Norway and will play in the Champions League qualifying in 2020.
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Players Mentioned
GK
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