When goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair dove to his left and extended his arm to make a one-handed stop in the 18th minute Monday against West Virginia, defender Johannes Bergmann swiftly booted the ball out of bounds far away from danger.
Had it not been for St. Clair’s 6-foot-4 frame and quick instincts, Maryland would’ve fallen behind early in a game it eventually won. The Terps, who started winless through four games, desperately wanted their first victory of 2018.
St. Clair went on to tie a season high with six saves, but none were nearly as impressive as the one he made to set the tone and kept the game scoreless. Maryland scored its first goal of the season in the 77th minute, and St. Clair made one more save after the decisive score to hold onto a 1-0 victory.
“I undoubtedly think he’s the best keeper in the country,” forward Paul Bin said Wednesday. “With his ball at his feet, the saves that he makes, I think it’s just undisputed.”
[Read more: “I deserve to celebrate”: Maryland men’s soccer is relieved its scoreless streak is over]
The early moment Monday at Ludwig Field was reminiscent of the many highlight-reel stops the redshirt junior made late in the 2017 campaign, when he kept the Terps in games as their offense dried up.
Maryland lost by one goal four times in that final stretch of the season, not including the 0-0 tie to Albany in the NCAA Tournament, which the Great Danes won on penalty kicks. Without St. Clair’s heroics, those already-crushing losses would’ve been amplified.
St. Clair has conceded three goals this season, and he didn’t have much of a chance at saving two of them. A lethal one-timer from an unmarked player just outside the six-yard box beat him on Aug. 24 against Washington, and a header into the top right-hand corner of the net Saturday against UCLA was perfectly placed.
[Read more: Maryland men’s soccer finally ends scoring drought in 1-0 win over West Virginia]
Now in his second year starting, the Pickering, Ontario, native doesn’t give himself credit for his success this season. He says his backline is the explanation for his 86.4 percent save rate, which ranks 15th in the country.
“To be honest, a lot of the guys in front of me deserve a lot of credit,” St. Clair said. “I don’t really have to face that much.”
While St. Clair did record six saves against the Mountaineers, the 18th-minute dive was the only one that required much effort, which has been a trend through Maryland’s first five contests. Despite opponents tallying double-digit shots in four games this year, St. Clair only averages 3.8 saves per game.
St. Clair doesn’t give himself credit for his team limiting chances; as their goalkeeper, he is expected to keep the backline connected through communicating. So far, it’s been effective.
“We’ve done a good job of limiting his chances,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “But he’s also done a good job of organizing the players in front of him and demanding stuff.”
While his other two captains — midfielder Amar Sejdic and defender Chase Gasper — won the game with a goal and assist, respectively, St. Clair’s early save kept the Mountaineers off the board, and proved he’s not falling out of practice, even if the defenders in front of him are keeping the pressure off of him.
“Soccer is a game of many different moments and you always have to be ready,” St. Clair said. “It’s such a quick transition game that anything can happen at any possible time so it’s about mentally staying locked in no matter what.”
