Courtesy of Brian Beard

Few positions are as integral to a team as the goalkeeper is to soccer. And if a soccer team is to be winning, they better have a good goalkeeper. Luckily for Bowdoin men’s soccer, they have Oliver King ’29 in the net, who has substantially contributed to the Polar Bears’ (4–0–2; 2–0–1 NESCAC) early-season dominance. For the season’s first six games, King has only allowed three goals, posting a 0.897 save percentage. His outstanding performance led to him being named NESCAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week on Monday. Although grateful for the recognition, King has more on his mind.

“Obviously, I was happy to be named [Player of the Week],” King wrote in an email to the Orient. “But in all honesty, it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t win some hardware [trophies]. My focus and goals haven’t really shifted, and now it’s about continuing to work and improve both as an individual and a team.”

With his sights remaining on the future, his determination has already manifested in statement wins for the team. This past weekend, the Polar Bears defeated two top-ranked DIII teams, Wesleyan University (4–1–1; 1–1–0 NESCAC) and Williams College (4–1–1; 3–1–1 NESCAC). King played a crucial role in upsetting these NESCAC rivals, but he passes the praise to his teammates as well.

“The whole back line has been playing lights out; shutting down the No. 1 and No. 11 teams in the nation is no easy task. There’s been a lot of rotation in the backline because of injuries and such, but every game they show up no matter what. I think it is just indicative of our team’s character and our ability to overcome adversity,” King said. “While we haven’t been scoring like we would wish, every game our offense finds a way to put one in the back of the net and get us three points. Right now, everyone is doing their part, and we hope to keep it going.”

Though he is only a sophomore, King is already an emerging leader on the men’s soccer team. Reflecting on the transition from high school to collegiate soccer last year, King noted the disparity in player skill.

“The speed of play is probably the biggest difference,” King wrote. “Players are much more athletic; the way in which college players pass the ball is much quicker and more accurate, and people’s shots are much harder and more accurate as well.”

Though not as dramatic of a change as moving up to DIII soccer, King’s progression to his sophomore year has been noteworthy as well. King noted that improving as an athlete requires consistency on and off the field.

“[Going from freshman to sophomore has] been a fairly large transition,” King wrote. “Getting in the weight room in the spring with Coach Paula and Coach Willey really helped me with my athleticism. In terms of my role, I’ve gone from not playing very many minutes to playing a lot. With this comes a leadership position on the field.”

So far, King’s and his teammates’ hard work has paid off, and the team’s successes have only raised their aspirations.

“This weekend, defeating Wesleyan and Williams was definitely the biggest moment of the season,” King wrote. “Our expectations are higher than ever. This is one of the best squads we’ve had in years, so we’re obviously looking to capitalize on it. As far as takeaways, we have a lot of good moments, but we do have a lot of work to do.”

King is taking it one game at a time. With another big NESCAC matchup on the horizon, King hopes the Bowdoin community can show up for the homecoming game.

“We play Middlebury [College (4–0–1; 2–0–1 NESCAC)] this weekend, who [is] No. 3 in the nation, so that’s going to be a great game, and we’re going to need a lot of support if we want to get it done,” King wrote.