CONWAY -- Olivia Allen said being a high school goalkeeper can be a demanding assignment, but the Little Rock Christian senior also admits her duties were sometimes mundane.
Little Rock Christian won 10 games by three or more goals during the spring. Sixteen of the Lady Warriors' 17 victories were shutouts.
"I was on a good team, and sometimes I never had to touch the ball," Allen said. "You could say it got pretty boring at times."
But Allen's final high school appearance as a goalkeeper likely won't be bland. Tonight, Allen and her West teammates take on the East in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game at Estes Stadium.
Little Rock Christian finished 17-3 and advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals. The Lady Warriors won the 5A title in 2015.
"It's very flattering to be on a good team, and you don't want to disappoint them," Allen said. "I always tried to be focused in practice and work on my game. You're on a good team, but you're on a good team for a reason. You have to challenge yourself to live up to it."
In her final three years for the Lady Warriors, Allen was the goalkeeper for 51 shutouts in 63 games. There were only 22 goals scored against her since her sophomore season.
"She is very athletic," Little Rock Christian Coach Beth Wendl said. "She's 5-9 and mostly muscle. A lot of goalies are usually shorter than she is, but she's not so tall that she can't get low to stop a shot. Her reaction time and her hand-eye coordination are really good. I think she's a natural for her position."
With her team involved in so many blowouts, Allen said she would sometimes make up a game within the game to keep herself focused.
"I would follow the ball to wherever it went," Allen said. "I challenged myself to always be ready for no matter what because you never know if there is going to be a fly ball coming at you."
"You can tell when the boredom sets in with a goalie," Wendl said. "It can get lonely, too."
Wendl said Allen's save total was not high because the Lady Warriors' defense was usually good enough to keep their opponents from getting a lot of shots on goal. However, the Little Rock Christian coach said Allen proved her worth during practice.
"The girls would get frustrated during practice because Olivia was so good at making saves during practice," Wendl said.
Allen will attend Central Arkansas this fall and plans to major in psychology, but she will not continue her soccer career.
"I'm going to miss it a lot. I've been playing it for 13 years," Allen said. "I think it means a lot more for me than most people because this is my last chance to come out and do my thing. I would like to leave an impact. Just knowing I'm stepping out on the soccer field for the last time is kind of bittersweet. I definitely want to make it my best effort."
Today’s games
ALL-STAR GIRLS SOCCER
WHEN 5 p.m.
WHERE Estes Stadium, Conway
TICKETS $6
SERIES Tied 6-6
LAST YEAR West 2, East 0
ALL-STAR BOYS SOCCER
WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Estes Stadium, Conway
TICKETS $6
SERIES Tied 6-6
LAST YEAR West 2, East 1
ALL-STAR VOLLEYBALL
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE Farris Center, Conway
TICKETS $6
SERIES Tied 7-7
LAST YEAR East 4, West 1
Sports on 06/22/2016