Holly Vanwert Mead Year: Senior Sport: Soccer Position: Goalkeeper

A strange thing happened to Holly Vanwert as a sophomore understudy to Mead goalkeeper Jennifer Poteat.

Poteat sprained her ankle during the Panthers’ playoff drive in 1993. Vanwert, no longer the backup, suddenly found herself in goal for the quarterfinals.

Three matches later, Vanwert and the Panthers were State AAA champions. In the final, Vanwert held off Redmond 2-1 after an early Mustang goal.

“I can still see it,” said Vanwert, who has been involved in eight shutouts this year for the undefeated Panthers. “I got a hand on it, but it still went in …. The roar of the crowd was depressing.”

During the past week Vanwert played goal as Mead beat two of the Greater Spokane League’s finest, Ferris and Gonzaga Prep. A G-Prep goal was just the second this year off Vanwert. The other goal, earlier in the season against Ferris, was on a penalty kick.

Vanwert played striker in her younger days and still has the scoring touch. She has scored five goals in the past two years.

Vanwert and backup Gina Hopoi experience many of their toughest moments in practices.

“(Coach Dick) Cullen comes down on us in practice,” she said. “He knows for any team to get past our defense they have to be pretty good. We have to hold up our end of the deal.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo