Payton Anderson '17 Recruiting Profile

**As of 7/24/2017 I have enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Superior**

I was voted Senior Captain of my high school team and Team MVP for my Junior and Senior years. I can run a 4.6 40 yard dash without spikes or blocks and can throw with either hand and kick with either foot.

I have been an honor roll student every semester I've ever been in school.

I finished the 2016 Varsity Season as the the Minnesota State High School League leader for Goalkeepers in saves. http://www.mnsoccerhub.com/page/show/2741110-2016-leaders

I was named 1st Team All Conference and Team MVP for 2016. My coach Tony Casci also told me that during the Section Tournament Seeding Meeting, the other coaches insisted our team be seeded higher because of me, even though we finished the regular season 3-12-1.

My college entrance essay is below.

Topic: My most memorable life experience. 

My Most Memorable Life Experience
by Payton Anderson


It was the first round of the Section 1A Tournament during my junior year of soccer, and we were on the road. At gametime it was 45 degrees.
As the game progressed, neither team was able to score. I had 9 saves in a scoreless first half. The 2nd half came to an end with a 0-0 tie and we went to overtime. The first overtime session ended with no score. The game went to a second overtime which also ended scoreless. At the end of the 2nd overtime, I had made 21 saves. And then we went to a shootout...

I have saved quite a few penalty kicks over the years and almost 50% in a Varsity High School uniform. I had never been in a shootout in high school soccer and I was really nervous. I didn't want to let my team down and have to walk back over to our sidelines with just me being the reason our season would come to an end, especially for the seniors. I was afraid of letting them down.

As the visiting team, we shot first, and our shooter's shot was easily stopped, so they immediately had the advantage and their fans cheered and stomped their feet. I swear I could feel their stands vibrating and shaking. It was really intimidating. I looked over at my team who were all standing shoulder to shoulder with their arms over the shoulders of the players on each side of them. They were looking at me intently. I really needed to make this save to keep the shootout tied at zero, or else my guys would have a huge disadvantage with only 4 shooters left each. The other team's shooter lined up over the ball and I thought I saw him quickly glimpse to the right side of the net. I waited for him to approach the ball, and his body language betrayed him, and I dove to my left and stuffed the shot. The instant the ball hit my hands, I heard all of my team and the visitor section of the stands all scream "YEAH!" at the same time.

The next three shooters scored for both teams to set up the 5th and final shooters to decide the game. Our senior captain stepped up to the penalty spot, took aim, and clanked the ball off the crossbar. Their team and fans erupted into cheers, knowing their goalie and best player was up to shoot and win the game with a goal. They would advance, and our season would end if I didn't stop the shot. Their goalie had seen me anticipate their shooters and stop one and almost several others by diving to the corners. He kicked his attempt straight down the middle and I stopped it with a kick save. Again, the visiting fans and players cheered and shouted and I could feel their excitement. This gave me a huge boost of confidence, because as soon as I stopped that shot, I was on my feet and looking towards their shooter, who was also their goalkeeper. His head went down and his shoulders slumped. He shuffled his feet and slowly trudged towards the goal to attempt to stop our next shooter.
So then begins the sudden death shootout. Whichever team scored and stopped the other team first would win. If we didn't score and they did, they'd win.

Our shooter lined up over the ball and calmly scored in the lower left corner. Their keeper, still dejected over me stopping his shot, barely moved and never left his feet. Our fans cheered, but it was different. It was almost tentative cheering. They knew something else had to happen for that goal to mean something. I had to stop the next shot for us to win the game. As I walked towards my place in the net, my legs felt like lead and I had never felt so much pressure. I knew it was up to me and only me now, and that my team needed me like never before. I had no idea which way this shooter would go. I heard some people from the stands say "You can do it, Payton" and "You can get it!" The pressure of the moment almost started to overtake me and I looked up a little bit to see my team. And then something happened. They were still arm-in-arm as a team, but something was different. They didn't look afraid. They were shifty and bouncing on their toes and smiling at each other and looked excited. And a warm feeling of invincibility came over me. At that exact moment, I knew my team believed in me. They weren't wondering if I could make the next save to win the game for us. They KNEW I could. They knew I WOULD. And if couldn't save the day, they weren't going to abandon me out there. They would all come to me, pick me up off the field of battle, and we'd all go home together, just like we had journeyed to that moment in time together.

When their shooter lined up over the ball, I have never felt more alive in my life. I looked directly into his eyes. He stared at the ball. He moved forward to strike it and I saw his hips moving. I took a step out and left, and pushed off as hard as I could to my right. I stuffed that shot with both hands in a full out dive, right before that ball went inside the post.

I don't remember feeling the ground when I hit it. But I remember the loudest cheering I have ever heard. I ran towards my team with my arms up in victory and they ran towards me and we all jumped together and hugged as a group and they put me on their shoulders and carried me off the field. As I was riding the purple sea of my second family off the pitch, I looked to the visitor section and saw all of our team's parents hugging and some wiping tears away. I searched the crowd and saw my dad watching me the whole way. He had one arm extended and he was pointing at me and had tears in his eyes, and I heard him yell above the cheering, "That's my son!"
I will always remember what it felt like to be supported by all the people who cared about me at that moment. They wouldn't have loved me any less if I hadn't come up with the biggest save of my life.

But I did.

Payton Anderson