HAMILTON — When Becca Wolterman stuffed a breakaway by a player from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy one recent Monday night, the sliding ground collision by the two players had some serious impact.
“That didn’t feel good,” the Badin High School girls soccer goaltender said in thinking back on the play that helped BHS maintain what turned out to be a 2-1 victory. “One-on-ones are my favorite plays, though. It feels good to make the save. But yeah, that one hurt.”
In fact, it apparently bent the retainer in Wolterman’s mouth. All in a night’s work for the junior co-captain, who is another in a long line of Badin netminders marked for the college ranks when the time comes. She enjoys the opportunity.
“I’ve been a goaltender right from the beginning,” said the Fairfield Township resident, who is a graduate of Sacred Heart School. She was 8 years old when the coach of her young club team asked if anyone wanted to play in goal. “Another girl and I volunteered. I just wanted to do something different than everybody else.”
When Wolterman was in goal for a scoreless tie against St. Ursula Academy on the road in mid-September, that was certainly something different for Badin on the scoreboard. In the 10 most recent meetings with SUA, Badin had gone 0-9-1 — a 2-2 deadlock by the Rams’ 2014 Division III state champions the only non-loss on the ledger.
The rare shutout of St. Ursula jump-started Badin’s solid 2020 campaign. The Rams are 7-5-2 and will begin Division II sectional play against New Richmond at Ross Soccer Stadium on Tuesday night.
“That was my first shutout for Badin,” said Wolterman, a smile evident even under her mask during the conversation in Badin’s new Student Development Center. “The defense worked seamlessly that day. We were very focused. We tend to hunker down and play well defensively in big games.”
Wolterman is in her first season playing varsity for Badin after opting out of high school ball last year to concentrate on her club team, the Ohio Elite, where she has been a regional all-star.
“It’s definitely been a transition, but I enjoy finally getting to play with my friends and in front of people I know and see on a daily basis,” she said of playing for Badin. “Finally, it’s not all talk. I get to show people what I’ve been working on. People have heard that I’m a good goalkeeper, but now they can finally see what I can do.”
Wolterman’s high-profile reputation has been reality for the Rams. She’s made her share of acrobatic saves and is being recruited by numerous Division I colleges in Ohio, though the coronavirus pandemic has complicated the college recruitment efforts. She’ll pursue something science-related in college, perhaps athletic training.
“Becca is a very good goalkeeper,” said Joe Martin, in his second year as head coach of the Rams after guiding a 2016 Colorado state champion. “She certainly solidifies our defense and makes our team stronger as a whole.
“Her ability to read the game, coupled with strong hands and quick feet, makes her a prime prospect to play at the next level. She constantly communicates on the field, which is another key characteristic of a good goalkeeper. Placed with the right coach and the right team, she will be an exceptional player and leader.”
“Playing in goal has always been something I’ve been good at. I like the competition. I like to keep working to try to get better. When you make a save that you’re surprised you made and then you stand up with the ball, that’s fun.”
BADIN JUNIOR BECCA WOLTERMAN
Mickayla Kowalski just graduated after starting in goal for three seasons for Badin, winning a Greater Catholic League Coed Division championship in 2018 and a district championship in 2017. She took her skills to D-I Northern Kentucky University.
Numerous other Badin goaltenders have also played in college.
Abby Lampe (Class of 2017) backstopped three excellent teams, including the 2014 state champions, and is playing at Ashland. Classmate Nicole Visse supported her and was in the first soccer class recruited to Indiana East in Richmond.
Michelle Hessling (2014) was in goal for the 2013 state champs and then played at Mount St. Joseph. Jenny Rosen (2007) backstopped the 2005 state champions and the 2006 state runners-up, then played at Xavier. Caitlin Wolf (2000) was recruited in goal by Dayton, then transferred to play for Miami.
Two standouts who didn’t play on were Aimee Hurst (1998) and Steph Streit (2002).
Hurst was in the nets for the state runners-up in 1995, 1996 and 1997, but turned down an offer to play at Western Michigan because — as skilled as she was — she didn’t really enjoy being a goaltender.
Streit was in goal for the 2000 state runners-up, but the talented 5-foot-2 athlete went into pre-med at Miami and is now a trauma surgeon and major in the United States Air Force stationed at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas.
If Penn State is known as “Linebacker U” on the football field, perhaps Badin needs a similar designation for its girls soccer goaltenders.
“Playing in goal has always been something I’ve been good at,” said Wolterman, the daughter of Steve and Tracey Wolterman. “I like the competition. I like to keep working to try to get better. When you make a save that you’re surprised you made and then you stand up with the ball, that’s fun.”
Wolterman mentioned her three favorite saves of the 2020 season, then paused and thought about it for a moment. They were all the same — getting up on a ball headed for the top corner. It was the first time she had considered it.
“I guess I need to work on my vertical,” Wolterman said with a laugh. She considers her ball skills, one-on-one defense and ability to communicate with the defense and keep them working together as a unit her top assets in the nets.
Asked about the pressure of being the last line of defense, Wolterman said, “I have to trust myself or I won’t be successful. I’ve trained hard and I have to be confident. If anything, I play better with more pressure because it keeps me focused. When it comes down to you and an opposing player coming at you, you zone everything out but the player.”
And through it all — all the dives, the collisions, the saves, the success — Wolterman still considers it fun.
“It’s definitely fun,” she said. “It gives me something to work on. You’re invested in your team. I like the challenge. It’s fun playing the game. It’s fun working on making the next save.”
