Goalkeeping is becoming one of the biggest reasons for the DVC soccer team’s success.

After losing their goalkeeper and 2016 defensive player of the year Katie McLaughlin, freshman goalkeepers Danielle Davis and Rylie Pearson have arrived and are looking to continue the tradition of elite shot stoppers at Viking Stadium.

“The two freshman goalkeepers are very talented, they’re very capable,” Coach Cailin Mullins said.

In the Vikings’ first game of the season against Clovis, the team’s defense was able to put up a shutout led by five saves from former Deer Valley High School keeper Danielle Davis.

Even after a great defensive start to the season, coach Mullins still believes there is room for improvement with the team’s new goalkeepers.

“They both still have some growing to do as far as understanding the sophistication of this level, defensively they both have to do a better job of organizing their defenders, and they need to make their lives easier by using their communication skills and abilities,” Mullins said.

“With the pressure that’s on you, it takes a lot more communication,” Pearson, a freshman out of Concord High, said.

Davis, the freshman from Deer Valley, agreed with Pearson that communication has been the main focus after making the jump to the Junior College level.

“In high school they didn’t make a big deal of having to communicate with your back line,” Davis said.

Having both had great careers at the high school level, Davis and Pearson have embraced the increased level of competition.

“It’s pretty cool, it’s way more intense than high school. I like the intensity,” Davis said.

Pearson agreed, saying, “I like how its more intense, you’re actually playing with people who want to be there. It’s more advanced because you’re playing with people who really want to be on this team.”

Adapting to the jump in competition from high school is always a difficult task, but Davis and Pearson say that returning players from last year’s team have helped them make the adjustment.

“They’re making sure we’re comfortable, they’re not just letting everyone hang around,” Davis said.

“They motivate us, they get us going and tell us what we’re supposed to be doing,” Pearson added.

Davis and Pearson are ready for the upcoming season, and both have placed high expectations on themselves.

“I expect to block as many shots as I possibly can, I know what I can save, so if something goes in then I know to improve on it next time,” Davis said.

“I just want to get better with my skills, my hands, communicating more, and making the right decisions,” Pearson said.

Coach Mullins seems to be comfortable with the freshmen so far, and her trust in them is only growing.

“I think they’re going to keep getting better as the season goes on, we should be quite solid in that area for the next couple years,” Mullins said.