Cal鈥檚 Makenna Smith earns Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week after one practice with team
BERKELEY, Calif. (BVM) 鈥� Makena Smith joined the Cal women鈥檚 soccer team on Friday having not played the sport competitively since her senior year of high school. The junior is a star on the Cal softball team, earning All-Pac-12 and All-Freshman team honors as a catcher in 2019, but her services were needed over the weekend as a goalkeeper.
Smith was thrust into the starting lineup on Sunday as the Golden Bears took on the defending NCAA Champion Santa Clara Broncos, and she looked like she belonged in the net. The softball standout recorded seven saves in 110 minutes as Cal earned a draw against the No. 2-ranked Broncos.
She also preserved the tie vs. the defending champs with this UNBELIEVABLE save in the last minute of the game 馃く
— Cal Women's Soccer (@CalWSoc)
A tip over the bar in the last minute of overtime to help preserve the draw was one of multiple big saves from Smith. She allowed just one goal to a team that averaged 2.5 goals per game during its championship season in 2021.
The performance led to Smith being named the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week on Tuesday by the conference office. Not too bad for a softball player who joined the soccer team just two days before her excellent debut.
Was there any doubt?
After her virtuoso performance vs. #2 Santa Clara, Makena Smith is the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week!
— Cal Women's Soccer (@CalWSoc)
