Reis makes the mark as goalie

Thursday, November 13, 1997

Reis makes the mark as goalie

M. SOCCER:

Consistence, mastery on field defines this starting goalkeeperBy
Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Staff

It’s not easy being a goalie. You rarely see any action, and
when you do, the chances to make a blunder are rather high.

Soccer fans rarely remember the time the forward missed a shot
wide right, but they always manage to hold a grudge against the
goalie who was incapable of stopping the wide-open shot by the
other team.

For UCLA senior Matt Reis, the downside of being a goalie is not
enough to keep him away from his job as the starting goalkeeper for
the No. 2 collegiate soccer team in the nation.

At the beginning of the season it was Reis’ job to lose.
Although he hadn’t received much playing time from 1994 to 1996,
Reis was the senior while the backups, true-freshman Nick Rimando
and red-shirt freshman Kevin Perrault, had little to no experience
at the collegiate level. Now, with the regular season over with,
Reis has proven why UCLA head coach Sigi Schmid entrusted him with
the starting position.

"I think Matt Reis has played well," Schmid said. "I think he’s
one of the top goalkeepers in the country, and as far as senior
goalkeepers go, he’s in the top three in the country. He’s been
very consistent this year ­ which is something that wasn’t
always the case when he was maybe a freshman or sophomore."

Reis, who only started playing at the goal during his sophomore
year in high school, has already started more than twice as many
games this season (13) than he had his previous three years at UCLA
(six). He could have started four years, if he wanted, at another
school. But Reis decided to become a Bruin because he knew that,
with his talent, the chance to start would eventually come.

Through all that time on the bench, Reis feels that his level of
play has improved. However, he doesn’t think that he has changed
much. According to him, the game is still the same ­ just his
ability to play it has changed. This "change" has taken place
largely by his critical nature.

"I look very critically at myself, and I always feel that I can
do better and that I can always play better in every game," Reis
said. "I think that’s what you need as an athlete. You always need
to look at your performance and play better."

Another reason for Reis’ rise to prominence in the collegiate
ranks is Schmid’s system to breed goalkeepers.

When recruiting a goalie, Schmid asks potential candidates what
they want to have accomplished when they graduate. If they want to
make an impact the very first year, and all of their goals are
short term, Schmid tells them UCLA is not the place for them. If,
in the end, they want an NCAA title, to be an All-American and to
possibly reach the national team, then UCLA is where they should
be.

"You need two good goalkeepers not only for your team to be
successful, but my feeling is that in order to produce a great
goalkeeper you need two good goalkeepers," Schmid said. "We’ve been
blessed that when you’re sitting as a freshman or a sophomore
you’re sitting behind goalkeepers that are either national team
goalkeepers or college goalkeepers of the year. You’re sitting
behind quality individuals, so then it becomes more palatable."

Reis had to sit behind Chris Snitko (currently of the MLS Kansas
City Wizards) and Kevin Hartman (currently of the MLS Los Angeles
Galaxy). This situation was "palatable" for Reis.

Snitko (0.66 goals against average his senior year) and Hartman
(0.87 gaa senior year) both had tremendous careers while at UCLA.
So Reis (.90 gaa this year) could never quite become the No. 1
goalie with those two around, but he managed to learn something
from both Snitko and Hartman.

From Snitko, Reis learned to believe in himself. He took the
approach of taking defeat personally, and not allowing anyone to
beat him. Reis picked up his work ethic from Hartman. Playing under
the veterans really instilled in him the competitive spirit that
allowed him to claim the No. 1 status this year.

"I feel that I’ve (helped to improve) Snitko and Hartman," Reis
said. "I mean, if they didn’t have me trying to get their spot,
they wouldn’t have been as good as they were. I think that is the
main reason that the UCLA goalkeeping tradition is so great. You
always have great players in here and they are pushing each other.
You have kind of a cycle ­ generation after generation of
great goalkeepers."

Since Rimando and Perrault are the future of UCLA, they are the
ones in charge of pushing Reis. Both Reis and Schmid agree that the
freshmen have made Reis better this season.

But most importantly, Rimando and Perrault know what their role
on the squad is this year, and as team players they are willing to
accept the diminished role.

"It’s kind of a challenge for me, but knowing that he is the No.
1 goalkeeper makes me feel that he is one of the best college
goalkeepers around," Rimando said. "I’m doing all I can just to
keep him up there, challenge him as much as I can and make him
better.

"Knowing that I’m a good goalkeeper and all, it’s hard (to sit
on the bench)," Rimando added. "But he’s a great leader and
somebody who I look up to."

The competition has prepared Reis to be the goalie in charge of
leading the Bruins into the 1997 NCAA Tournament. With a win
against Stanford on Sunday, UCLA would gain an automatic bid, but
Schmid is confident that the Bruins will secure at least an
at-large bid.

Reis has participated in two NCAA games during his career at
UCLA ­ the Final Four game against Indiana and the preceding
game. Snitko, the starter in 1994, was red-carded in the game
against Charleston when he touched a ball with his hand outside of
the box.

UCLA went on to beat Charleston 3-2 before losing 4-1 in the
semifinal showdown to Indiana. Although it was a discouraging
defeat, Schmid doesn’t feel that come NCAA time Reis will perform
badly.

"Right when (Snitko) touched the ball I went, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m
in,’" Reis said. "It was exciting. We ended up winning that game
(against Charleston) ­ it was almost a miracle that we won
that game. And then just the whole excitement of the Final Four was
amazing. Hopefully, we can go back there again because it was so
much fun."

Reis has played big games at St. Louis (an important 2-0 shutout
after a surprising 2-0 loss to the University of
Alabama-Birmingham) and Duke (a 4-2 win in the UCLA Soccer
Classic).

So when Stanford comes calling, Reis will be ready. When the
NCAA games begin, Reis will be ready. But what about when his NCAA
career ends and the professional ranks begin calling? Will Reis be
ready?

Schmid believes so, and Reis hopes so.

Schmid believes that Reis can play in the MLS. He said that Reis
is stronger than some of the current goalkeepers, and that from the
athletic standpoint, he has the ability to play professionally.

"He’s a very, very good athlete, which is important for the
position," Schmid said. "He’s got good reactions, he’s quick and
he’s brave. Those are all things that are important."

Important for Reis and important for the playoff-bound
Bruins.

Just remember, if UCLA fails to win the national championship,
don’t be quick to blame the goalkeeper. Chances are Reis did
everything humanly possible to stop the ball.

Of course, if the Bruins win the national championship, Reis
deserves all of the credit.

Daily Bruin File Photo

Starting goalie Matt Reis has quickly risen in prominence as one
of the top collegiate soccer players in the nation.