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Sports

Former Roosevelt Standout Has Become "Backbone" of Maryland's Women's Soccer Team

Yewande Balogun, a 2007 Eleanor Roosevelt grad, enters her senior season with the Terrapins widely viewed as one of the top goalies in the entire country.

Just a year earlier, Yewande Balogun had established herself as not only Maryland’s starting goalie, but also as one of the rising young stars of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Balogun, who had previously starred at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, started 15 games during her freshman season with the Terrapins in 2007, earned freshman All-ACC honors following the season and looked to be well on her way to having a very bright future at Maryland.

Yet, a year later, Balogun just didn’t feel like the same player. Still limited by offseason knee surgery, which followed foot surgery during the latter part of her freshman season, Balogun didn’t have the same range she was accustomed to and even little movements, which had once seemed basic, now proved to be difficult.

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Her performance slipped as a result, as did her confidence, before she was eventually replaced as Maryland’s starting goalie less than halfway through the season.

And after Mary Casey shined in her place, Balogun was also forced to the bench a year later, eventually redshirting in 2009.

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As frustrating as it was to sit and watch, especially having once been healthy, Balogun never stopped working and never stopped preparing. Eventually, that work paid off.

After Casey graduated following the 2009 season, Balogun regained her starting job, proceeded to post one of the best seasons by a goalie in Terrapins history and now enters her senior season at Maryland widely viewed as one of the top goalies in the entire country.

Balogun started all 23 games for the Terrapins as a junior last year, leading the team to an 18-2-3 record. Her 0.86 goals against average, having yielded just 20 goals in those 23 games, stands as the fifth-best mark in school history.

“It was really amazing to have that happen last year,” Balogun said. “A lot of the reason I came to Maryland in the first place was because I wanted to be a part of a team that was building and wanted to help in that process. And it was amazing to actually have that happen, especially coming from the [previous two years]. And now, hopefully we can build off that this season.”

At Roosevelt, Balogun was a two-time all-state performer, earning first-team honors as a senior in 2006, after receiving second-team accolades as a junior, and helped guide the Raiders to a Class 4A state championship as a freshman in 2003.

She was also a U14-U17 (Under-14-Under-17) U.S. Women’s National Team pool selection for her age group during her time at Roosevelt and was, and still is, a member of both the Maryland State ODP (Olympic Development Program) team as well as the Region I ODP team. In 2005, she was selected for the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP U17 Adidas All-Star team.

At Maryland, she ranks first in school history in career goals against average (0.98), seventh in career saves (150) and is tied for seventh in career shutouts (10).

“The goalkeeper is the backbone of any team and Yewande is very valuable to us,” said Terrapins goalkeeping coach Laurie George, who has worked with Balogun during her entire career at Maryland. “She has a huge role for us, both on and off the field, and is very valuable to us as both a person and as a goalkeeper.”

George has also noticed tremendous improvement from Balogun since she first arrived in College Park in 2007. "She’s improved athletically, her knowledge and understanding of the game has improved and her communication has also improved," George said.

She added that Balogun has developed into a general on the field for the Terrapins and views her now senior goalie as being a key cog in Maryland’s quest for a national championship.

But, even once her time at Maryland is done, George believes Balogun, with the improvement she’s made, has the necessary skills to continue her soccer career, possibly even as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Although George said that will largely depend on how Balogun fares this season.

George, a former goalie herself, played collegiately at Georgian Court College before playing three seasons professionally.

Aside from coaching at Maryland, George is a director for former U.S. Women’s National Team coach Tony DiCicco with SoccerPlus Camps, is a member of the ODP Region I coaching staff and has also been a part of the U.S’s U14 and U15 Girl’s National Teams since 2006.

“If Yewande has aspirations to play at the highest level, she just has to go out, do her job, make saves and keep the ball out of the net and coaches will see that,” George said. “And if she has a great year, things can definitely happen for her.”

George added, “She absolutely has the talent, though, as well as the ability, the athleticism, the drive, all the necessary tools, to play at the highest level. Now, it’s just up to her to keep the ball out of the net.”

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