Looking Ahead: Top ’23 Indiana high school goalkeepers

Score as many goals as you like, but a team will not go far if they struggle to protect their own net. Having a reliable goalkeeper who can make incredible saves when needed, a goalkeeper who makes all the saves they should, and who even comes up with a few that they should not, is essential. The Indiana All-District team features four such goalkeepers who will be returning next school year. [player_tooltip player_id="11366" first="Saed" last="Anabtawi"], 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Fort Wayne FC, Junior All season long, Anabtawi was one of the top keepers in the Fort Wayne area. Anabtawi played more than 1,600 minutes and averaged about 0.8 goals allowed per match. Anabtawi only conceded 18 goals this campaign. He recorded 10 clean sheets. But it is not always about how many saves a goalkeeper makes. Sometimes which shots they save, and when, is the most important thing. Satisfying that need is the fact that Anabtawi saved seven penalty kicks this year. All year long, Anabtawi provided clutch saves for the Cavaliers. Anabtawi demonstrated that he is a confident goalkeeper. He is not afraid to come off his line to cut off a cross or a set-piece delivery. He is very good with the ball at his feet, and he distributes the ball well to his teammates. Anabtawi has safe hands, and he rarely struggles with mishandling the ball. Anabtawi will be the top returning boys goalkeeper prospect in Indiana next school year. GIRLS [player_tooltip player_id="22231" first="Kate" last="Phillips"], 5-foot-7, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indiana Fire, Junior Phillips provided a steadying presence for Indianapolis Cathedral this season. Phillips showed that she can make big saves when needed most. Her highlight film shows several instances where she came off her line to stop attackers who managed to get in behind the back line. When Phillips is excellent in cutting down angles, and when she comes off her line, she forces forwards to take shots earlier than they might want. She also is solid at cutting off crosses that come into the box. One area that is particularly impressive about Phillips’ game is her distribution. She does well getting the ball out to her teammates so they can launch an attack going the other way. [player_tooltip player_id="22367" first="Maryn" last="Weiger"], 5-foot-7, North Central, FC Pride Elite, Junior A great performance by a goalkeeper can frustrate forwards. That is exactly what Weiger was able to do this season. Weiger moves along her line well and positions herself to be able to make the save. Her highlight video is replete with instances where she came big, denying shots from close range. It is not just when making reactionary saves when Weiger excels, she does well extending to stop shots that were well-placed. Through just under 1,100 minutes played this season, Weiger allowed only 11 goals, while coming up with 66 saves. On average, she conceded only about 0.8 goals per game while keeping a clean sheet on eight occasions. [player_tooltip player_id="37262" first="Peyton" last="Hull"], 5-foot-10, South Bend St. Joseph, Junior It is often said in sports that the best ability is availability. Hull was ever-present for St. Joseph this season as she logged 1,575 minutes in goal for the Indians. In that time, Hull conceded only nine goals. But she certainly was tested often throughout the campaign. Hull provided 84 saves for her team, and, per match, she allowed an astonishingly low average of 0.4 goals. Hull also scored one goal this season. Hull will be a top prospect to watch heading into her senior season next fall.