It takes a different kind of cat to play goaltender. When most people are trying their best to get out of the way of shots, it’s the goalie’s job to deliberately put themselves in front of balls and stop them at any cost. Being willing to do that requires a special kind of mindset; being good at it is even more of a challenge.
To the casual lacrosse observer, it might seem like the goalies make little or no difference in the outcome of the game and that shots stopped are more luck than good management. But look just a little closer and it becomes apparent that quality netminding can make all the difference in the world.
The proof is in the save percentages. Just six percent separated the best (Matt Vinc, .803) and the worst (Mike Poulin, .742) among regulars during the 2013 season, but that narrow margin accounted for more than 2.5 goals per game (Vinc, 10.17 GAA; Poulin, 12.82 GAA).
As with all things, it’s not quite that simple either. Poulin’s Calgary Roughnecks gave up the most power play opportunities in the NLL last year (107) and the most goals (59) in those situations, while Vinc’s Rochester Knighthawks were in the middle of the pack for power plays surrendered (76) and gave up the third fewest power play goals (32). Parachute Poulin into the 2013 Knighthawks lineup and his ugly looking goals against average drops from 12.82 to a fairly respectable 11.13.
The point is that, on the surface of things, the numbers only tell part of the story.
Still, there are some broad conclusions we can come to. Two-time Goaltender of the Year Vinc is still clearly the cream of the goalie crop in the NLL and, based on his outstanding 45-save performance in Rochester’s first game of the 2014 season, he’s in no danger of surrendering that title.
Meanwhile, it’s looking like Tyler Carlson (8.00 GAA, .765 save percentage) is rewarding the Minnesota Swarm’s faith in him and Aaron Bold (10.00 GAA) of the Edmonton Rush is looking like the same shut-down goalie he has been for the last two years.
One of the big questions for 2014 that has already reared it’s head is how much Anthony Cosmo has left in the tank. The Buffalo Bandits pulled him in late in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Philadelphia Wings after he surrendered his 13th goal. Cosmo’s 13.37 GAA in 2013 and shaky late-season play were certainly contributing factors to the Bandit’s fall from contention last year.
How long Buffalo is willing to go with Cosmo this season if he doesn’t have a career resurgence is one of the key story lines for the Bandits in 2014.
Cosmo’s current struggles underscore an ongoing theme in the NLL in recent seasons, which is that age is a particularly cruel mistress for goalies. While a handful of aging veterans, like the Toronto Rock’s Bob Watson, have been able to leave the game on their own terms, others have not been so lucky.
The Minnesota Swarm dumped 30-year-old Nick Patterson after only one game in 2012, just a year after Patterson had played in the All Star game. Chris Levis, at age 36, lost his job as starting goalie for the Colorado Mammoth early in 2013 and, shortly thereafter, 33-year-old Matt Roik was released from the same job as well.
Brandon Miller, age 34, was solidly in the middle of the NLL goaltending pack last year while playing for the Philadelphia Wings and was given the franchise tag over the summer as a reward for his years of service. He was cut from the Wings before the season started in favor of 26-year-old Evan Kirk.
Perhaps it’s shell shock after facing that much rubber for that many years, but it seems like the Matt Vincs of the world, who are able to stay at the top of their games into their 30s, are few and far between.
What the future holds for the current crop of NLL goalies is anyone’s guess, but don’t be too surprised if the kids like Carlson, Kirk and rookie Dillon Ward are among the league leaders by the end of the season.
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