Bowling Green State University Athletics
DeGraff Upholds Tradition Of Goalkeepers
October 08, 2003 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 8, 2003
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - With the pressure on last season, David DeGraff was there when he was needed.
The Bowling Green men's soccer team started the 2002 season 0-8, but rebounded to advance to the Mid-American Conference tournament championship game for the seventh time in the nine-year history of the event.
A senior goalkeeper, DeGraff allowed zero or one goal in seven of his final 11 games last fall, posting a 1.34 goals-against-average in that stretch. He was named first team All-Ohio, first-team All-MAC and to the MAC all-tournament team.
"Last year, in the second half of the season, he really stepped up and put his stamp on the game," said BG head coach Mel Mahler. "He and the defense kept us in matches and gave us the opportunity to win games."
"We want to be playing our best soccer when the MAC season rolls around," DeGraff said.
DeGraff has allowed 88 goals in 61 college games while playing more than 5,600 minutes. He has 15 career shutouts.
"He's basically been the backbone of our defense for the last four years," Mahler said. "He's made a big difference.
"He's upheld the long tradition of outstanding goalkeeping. He's keep us in a lot of games," Mahler added. "Teams make mistakes in the back and it's the goalkeeper's job to clean them up."
Until Sunday's 6-1 loss to Michigan, DeGraff numbers were very good this season. He had made saves on 43-of-49 shots he faced in six games with a 0.91 goals-against average. Even in the sub-par performance against Michigan, DeGraff made seven saves. He has a 1.58 goals-against with an .806 save percentage.
"We didn't come out very well," DeGraff said about the UM game. "We want to win every game, but sometimes we make mistakes here and there.
"We have to come out next weekend and put this game behind us," he added. "The next couple of games for us are very important. We have the talent. Now, we just have to get it done."
At 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, DeGraff has the size to be a standout goalie. He also plays the angles well and has good ball distribution with some long booming punts and good placement of his throws.
DeGraff said one of his strongest attributes is shot-stopping -- "the ability to make saves and keep the team in the game. It's a lot of things ... reading people and knowing when they are going to shoot, when they are going to dribble," he explained. "If they have their head down, they are probably going to shoot."
Mahler said DeGraff is usually good for one or two goal-saving saves a game.
"The strongest part of his game is anticipation, the ability to read the game, and ... he's lightning quick," Mahler said.
DeGraff also has the ability to hang onto the initial shot and not allow many rebounds.
"He has great hands ... It's almost like Velcro, balls just stick to him," Mahler said. "You can be quick and get to balls and not hold onto them. Then there are rebounds and they are scoring off rebounds."
The Naperville, Ill. area has been an excellent recruiting area for BG goalkeepers in the last decade with DeGraff and Scott Vallow manning the position for eight seasons starting in 1995.
Vallow, with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, twice earned All-America honors while playing for the Falcons from 1995-98. DeGraff followed Vallow to BG and also hopes to play professional soccer after his Falcon career.
"We went to the same high school and he used to ref our games when I was little," DeGraff said about Vallow. "I knew of the (BG) program because of him and the history of the program so I knew it was good. I want to play more than anything. I'll give it a shot and see what happens."
"He's legit. I think he has a future beyond the collegiate level," Mahler said.
