Chris Eylander: Showstopper
September 22, 2005 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 22, 2005
By Mike Bruscas
Resting at a table in the brand-new Conibear Shellhouse and Student Life Center on a late summer afternoon, Chris Eylander conducts himself with a deliberate, relaxed air. For a senior goalkeeper used to lightning-quick athletes attempting to blast soccer balls over, around, or through him, anything else must seem downright dull.
Or perhaps the team's 6 a.m. practice that morning has something to do with it. Eylander's teammates are mostly curled on couches in the lounge or sprawled on the floor, trying to rest up while a second strength-sapping practice looms that afternoon.
The calm gives no indication of the storm to follow at practice or during the 2005 season for the Washington men's soccer team, a veteran group with high expectations, to which Eylander provides the base.
After finally claiming the starting spot as a junior in 2004, Eylander validated his top billing by leading the conference in saves and shutouts, and being named to the All-Pac-10 first team. None of the Huskies, however, were satisfied at season's end, after a 5-3 loss to Portland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament capped off four straight defeats and sent the Huskies home early.
"That's probably the worst sequence of losses I've ever experienced, especially the last game against Portland," Eylander says. "I'm sure every single person on the team will always have that in their minds, not in a negative way but in a way that's going to help us push through and persevere this year."
Eylander has come to learn that nothing comes for free, a mindset that keeps him humble and driven both on the field and off. At Auburn-Riverside High School, Eylander was named 2002 State Player of the Year, and was an immediate factor as a freshman at Washington, splitting time in goal with junior Danny Waltman.
At the start of his sophomore campaign, Eylander felt capable and confident to stalk the goalbox full-time, but coaches gave the nod to the senior Waltman. It was a frustrating blow to Eylander, who knewhis capabilities and was eager to contribute.
"It was tough to stay positive during that season," he says. "The whole time, Danny and I were always biting at each other's heels, maybe even a little too much to be good for the morale between us, but I just kept on fighting and kept on taking it practice by practice, trying to be a better keeper."
The preparation paid off when Eylander took over as a junior in 2004. Despite the responsibility of being the clear No. 1 in goal, it was a smooth transition.
"I felt confident behind my team," he says. "I felt that I started to play the role of a leader, and I felt very sure in the net."
Consistency is what Eylander calls his biggest asset as a goalie. He provides a steady presence on the pitch, coordinating and communicating with the defenders so they work as a whole. Substance over style also marks Eylander's academic efforts, where the electrical engineering major netted numerous awards for his work in the classroom last year, including a third-team Academic All-America honor.
Just as Eylander owes his parents for the 6-foot-1 frame that enables him to cover the net, genetics may also be partly to thank for his mathematical aptitude. Eylander's father Mark also graduated from Washington, earning a civil engineering degree.
"We have similar minds, we are similar people," the younger Eylander says. "I didn't really look at my dad's footsteps and try to pursue them, but we have the same initial direction."
Of course, there reaches a point where natural size and skill can go no further, and motivation matters most. It is at this point where Eylander excels, recently growing to draw from his strong faith.
"My motivation before was a lot for myself, but in the last few years as I've spiritually matured, it's come more from being able to look at Jesus Christ and what he's done for me and my life," he says. "That's what keeps me motivated to go to school, to play soccer, to go through life in general. It's bigger than self or team."
Athletically, academically, spiritually -- Chris Eylander works for success in all areas of his life. That way, life will never be dull, whether in the net or not.
