This is the third of a multi-part series of features on Racing Louisville’s rookie class of 2022 that will be released here and via the Butchertown Rundown podcast (@ButchertownR) on the Beautiful Game Network. Check out the first part of the series here with an article on Kirsten Davis and the second part with a podcast interview with Savannah DeMelo.
The Goalkeeper Spectrum
Hillary Beall wasn’t always a goalkeeper. As a child, she started out as a forward and was “decent” by her own estimation. But as she got older and less enthusiastic about so much running, she was eventually moved in front of the net.
“I was tall so they were like: Alright, we’ll throw you in the goal,” recalls Beall. With a smile, she adds, “I was pretty aggressive so it worked out OK.”
To help fuel that competitive edge, Beall says she could always rely on family friends to pump her up before matches.
“One of our family friends would scream before games ‘Who owns the box?’ And I would say ‘I do!’ And so I’d get riled up about ‘keeping the burglars out’ as my mom would say when I was a kid.”
Personal hype teams aside, Beall insists she isn’t as wild or as reckless as many keepers out there. But she isn’t without an edge, either. “Between goalkeepers, we always joke of like what edge of the goalkeeper spectrum are you on? There’s the far crazy edge, and then there are the more normal goalkeepers. I would say I’m maybe in the middle.”
Somewhere Different
Beall excelled enough in “keeping the burglars out” that she would have several options for collegiate soccer. As a Southern Californian, it’s no surprise that her entire family had always attended PAC-12 schools. Beall, however, wanted to do something different. She says the chance to go somewhere completely new was exciting. As was the opportunity to make a real impact on a growing program.
Ultimately, she chose the University of Michigan because it had the right mix of quality…
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