Olmsted solid in CdA goal

After Coeur d’Alene High’s boys soccer team endured a dismal season last fall, the odds for success in 2006 weren’t great.

But the mercurial nature of prep sports, in which one group of seniors is replaced by another every season, sometimes allows for the unexpected turn of a friendly card.

This season, the Vikings and senior goalkeeper Tyler Olmsted have been nothing but aces.

Coeur d’Alene, undefeated in Inland Empire League play, can capture the league title this afternoon with a victory over visiting Lake City.

Olmsted, who came up with three huge late saves in a 1-0 win under the lights at LC earlier this season, said improved senior leadership is what has made the difference.

“We’ve got great leadership this year – everybody has everybody else’s phone number and we all know what each other are doing,” said Olmsted.

“Communication is the best part of this team – we’re friends on and off the field.”

Today may be the biggest test of that camaraderie.

“We’re on a 10-game winning streak right now, and we pretty much want to keep it that way,” Olmsted said. “We know Lake City’s got us in their sights and whatnot, and they really want this.

“I really don’t feel like letting that happen.”

Winning or losing frequently falls in the hands of the keeper.

“You always want to have a cocky goalkeeper,” Olmsted said. “I’m cocky to an extent, but I know my limits. I’m not going to go bragging to everybody about how good I am.

“But, every shot, you have to make a save – if you’re not going to make a save, what good are you in goal?”

Olmsted feeds on that excitement.

“It’s exciting when you have the ball coming right at you,” he said. “You have a rush of adrenaline, and you do unthinkable things that you never thought you’d be able to do.

“You make that big save, and you have this big rush, and you throw it back out or make this huge, long punt and hope that somebody will run under it.”

Against weaker opponents, though, there is considerably less adrenaline flowing.

“You just get so bored that you don’t even want to be there,” Olmsted said. “I pretty much just stand there and wish I had something to do.”