Sophia Barker’s journey to minding the net on the soccer field began even prior to her high school career. Fast forward about five years later, and she has parlayed her pitch excursion into a prominent role for an NCAA Division III program.

The Old Saybrook Class of 2022 graduate started off in soccer during her middle school years and later tacked on basketball and softball to her athletic arsenal. It was in eighth grade when a visit from the Old Saybrook girls’ soccer program to Sophia’s school led her down the path towards patrolling the box, becoming the Old Saybrook goalkeeper.

Following high school, Sophia joined another pack of Rams at Suffolk University this fall and has had to step up quickly into her slot, as Suffolk graduated its keeper from a year ago. Sophia, though, has been true to the task at hand–allowing 19 goals in 13 games played and sporting 76 saves for a 1.52 goals against average. Sophia details she took a quick liking to the position, and she has learned to keep her head in the game no matter what hurdles come her way.

“In eighth grade, the Old Saybrook coaches came to our school and let us know they would need a goalkeeper next year, so I decided to learn the position, and I loved it,” says Sophia, who also played on the hardwood and softball diamond for Old Saybrook. “Goalkeeper is a whole different position; you can feel alone out there. If you make a mistake, it usually leads to a goal. You have to earn the trust of your team. Until junior or senior year, I never understood how the position is very mental. You have to be calm and controlled, because you could go from facing no shots in 15 minutes to seeing six shots in 20.”

In comparing and contrasting the high school and college levels of the sport, Sophia notes that the collegiate ranks involve more scheming, scouting, and consuming game tape before the ball is even dropped for the next contest. Additionally, she discovered that playing at Suffolk has created a necessity to act as a dual defending threat.

“At the college level, there is more preparation work with games; we watch film, change formations and tactics before we play,” Sophia says. “In high school, it was more about just playing our game. Playing goalie in college, you are seen as another defender, because you are expected to come out of the box to make saves. It is something I am still adjusting to and learning.”

The foundation for Sophia’s success at Suffolk was poured through pounding the pitch at Old Saybrook. She acquired knowledge on how to be persistent and prop up all of her teammates around her to formulate a more cohesive unit.

“Playing for Old Saybrook definitely taught me how to persevere and never give up,” says Sophia. “[Now Old Saybrook senior] Abby Colella was an amazing goalie last year. We became great friends and discovered it was better to work together. We root for each other and still text each other. I learned the other goalkeepers are there to help you, and my time at Old Saybrook taught me how to hold other people up.”

Sophia reflects that she went out on a high note when looking back on her run with her hometown Rams thanks to a postseason triumph in what would be her final game played.

“One of my favorite games was last year against St. Bernard in the [Class S] State Tournament,” Sophia says. “We came together to win 1-0 in overtime. It was a moment where we just rallied. I did not play in the next game, so it ended up being my last game. It was really the best way to finish my career at Old Saybrook.”

Old Saybrook girls’ soccer head coach Steve Roslonek details that Sophia never let anything hinder her progress with the Rams, culminating in helping the team reach its first state quarterfinal in five years. He adds that her commitment to Old Saybrook did not deteriorate following graduation.

“Sophia is a great example of the saying ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ Sophia wanted to be the best goalie she could be and through ups and downs,” says Roslonek. “She was the starting varsity goalie by sophomore year but then lost that starting position junior year to an incoming goalie from a high level club team. She recommitted herself to getting better and came back senior year showing tremendous skill, intensity, and confidence and ultimately earned a shared spot at the starting goalie role. She performed magnificently last year throughout the season, making key saves in games that kept our season alive. This summer, Sophia organized and conducted individual training sessions for young goalkeepers in town, and I’ve heard nothing but glowing compliments from the parents about how amazing and motivational her sessions are.”

Trepidation was understandably present in traversing onto campus this fall with Sophia looking to help fill the shoes of a graduating netminder. She soon found that her welcoming and encouraging teammates helped her ease into the next chapter of her athletic tenure.

“It was scary coming in as a freshman goalie after the goalkeeper from last year graduated. It was also scary to try and direct and yell at seniors in front of me out there,” Sophia says. “But they have all been so friendly and supportive. They have been so understanding that there will be mistakes and I have to learn from them. I have had great communication with them, as well as my coaches.”

Winding down her first full campaign at Suffolk, Sophia surmises that her future ambitions with these Rams entail continuing to develop her winning mentality between the whistles while being a teammate’s rock away from the game that is as stone solid as her abilities in net.

“I want to continue to lead the team and help us grow while being someone that anyone can come to on and off the field,” says Sophia, a political science major at Suffolk. “I also want to work more on my mental game. I want to keep seeing myself grow and so that when I leave here, I can say I impacted the team and grew as a person.”