With shutout No. 37 last night, Meagan McClelland has a lock on the @NCAASoccer active career lead in clean sheets.
- Thread starter Tango Two
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Agreed. A lot about all the clean sheets has to do with the excellent defense Rutgers has played under Mike O'Neill. That said IMO the 2nd half of last year saw Meg play the best of her career. And the one save she made at Providence was truly a great save. She dove flat out & made a fingertip save on a sure goal that as a result went just wide of the post. One of the best saves I've ever seen her make, if not the best. Hopefully she has a great year.
While I definitely agree the defenders in front of her have a lot to do with her shutout number, let's also not forget that goalkeepers (especially Meg) are active in positioning their defenders in attacks and opposing free kicks as well as pointing out the open woman during attacking build-ups. During the Providence game, you can constantly hear Meg telling her defenders where to pass the ball while the team had possession (just some of the things you can clearly hear her say: "Becci's open. You've still got her, you've still got her"; "Pass it to Sam. Sam turn, turn!") and from past games I've heard her shouting at her defenders to cover certain runs into the box. Obviously the defenders have to execute well defensively for Meg to see as few shots as she does but she definitely doesn't have a passive role in her shutout numbers.