By Brentley Romine, Orlando Sentinel
4:04 p.m. EDT, September 30, 2011
When it comes to pregame attire, Rollins senior defender Charlotte
Murrell isn't very creative.
"I'm a little superstitious, so I wear Rollins shorts and a
game-day shirt from my freshman year before every game," Murrell
said. "But we've been winning and I've been wearing that, so I'm
going to stick to it."
And for good reason. The Tars women's soccer team have not allowed
a goal through eight matches heading into Saturday's contest at
Florida Tech.
"All the girls have something that they feel like helps them win,
whether it's the food they eat, the way they tie their shoelaces or
what they wear," Rollins first-year coach Alicia Milyak said. "It
doesn't matter to me. As long as it helps them do what they're
doing, I'll stand by them and let them do it."
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The Tars (7-0-1), ranked No. 10 in Division II, haven't allowed a
goal since a 2-0 postseason loss to Florida Tech in the NCAA
Tournament last November.
"We're not talking about [the streak] so much," junior defender
Anita Cox said. "We've thought about it every game that we've gone
into, but it's not something that we want to keep on our minds.
"But after every couple of games, we'll get people who come up to
us [on campus] and are like, 'Hey, another shutout. Good job, you
guys.' "
Senior goalkeeper Michelle Dillingham, Rollins' career leader with
33 shutouts, helped set the school's previous record of four
shutouts in a row in 2009. This season, she already has made
several crucial saves, including six Wednesday in a 2-0 victory
against Flagler and an acrobatic save of a wide-open shot against
Kutztown, Pa., on Sept. 5.
"Our girls probably remember the spectacular saves,'' Milyak said.
"I remember every other shot in between."
Said Dillingham, a Trinity Prep grad: "You never want to give up
that first goal. And if and when it happens, I'm sure it will hurt
a little bit."
Orlando City goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo, who notched a USL Pro
league-high 11 shutouts for the Lions in 2011, said focus is one of
the biggest challenges a goalie faces during scoreless streaks.
"If you play for a team that dominates possession, which I'm sure
they do, it's more difficult because you have more time to think
about it," Gallardo said. "I don't know who the goalkeeper is, but
she's got to be pretty strong mentally to achieve such an
accomplishment."
Rollins' players know opponents would enjoy scoring that first goal
against the Tars.
"I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who don't like us
very much," junior defender Whitney Rohrer said. "They're
definitely coming after us."
There's also the challenge of staying humble.
"Nobody's making it their Facebook status or saying anything that
would make us sound cocky," sophomore defender Maddie Ginder
said.
While the NCAA Division II record is 15 shutouts in a row by
Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H., in 1995, the Tars have
a bigger goal.
Rollins, which played its first varsity season in 1997, never has
won a national title.
"We're not here to break records," Murrell said. "We want to win a
national championship, and if we get to the national championship
by breaking that record, then that's great."
bromine@tribune.com
Copyright © 2011, Orlando Sentinel
