Great communicator
Tyler Goss looks around the Greater Spokane League and knows one thing for certain.
“The thing about the GSL, especially this year, is that it always gives you a second chance,” the senior University High School defender said. “It just comes down to what you do with it.”
Goss knows about second chances.
A member of U-Hi’s wrestling team, Goss played an integral role in the team’s march to the State 4A championship, recovering from a first-round loss to reach the victory stand and a sixth-place trophy – vital team points as the Titans held off Lake Stevens for the title.
“Wrestling certainly teaches you to be mentally tough,” the soccer team captain said. “You lost a tough match and you have to get right back up and wrestle again. You don’t have a lot of time there to feel sorry for yourself.
“We had a team meeting this week to talk about what we have to do and how we have to be ready to take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself.”
In a season where competition in the GSL has been particularly tight, a solid defense has served University well.
“I thought coming in that our defense was going to be a question mark,” coach Kevin Houston said. “I just wasn’t sure how they were going to perform as a unit.
“But really, they came together almost immediately and have really played well – which is a good thing, because we’ve had trouble scoring. They’ve kept us in games all season long.”
Goss, however, never doubted how his defensive unit would perform.
“I just knew we were going to be a good defense,” he said. “I’d played with these guys on club teams, and I knew what they could do. And really, we’ve played well together right from the start.”
Goss has been the unit’s traffic cop – a vocal middle defender who helps steer the defense.
“Communication is really important,” Goss said. “You need someone who can direct traffic back there.”
“That’s one of Tyler’s strengths,” Houston said. “He’s a very good, vocal leader on the field and a good leader off the field as well. He’s not afraid to speak up and tell his teammates where to go and he also leads by example.
“The thing about Tyler is that he’s always positive. You never see him get in a teammate’s face or say anything negative about what happens on the field.”
Making the transition from wrestling to soccer was relatively easy, Goss said.
“It takes a while to change over,” he said. “For wrestling, you’re training to go all out for six minutes. In soccer, you have to build up more endurance to go a full game.
“After putting so much time and effort into the wrestling season, I was ready to do something different.”
One difference – and a pleasant one at that – is the fact that Goss can now eat.
“One thing that my family always does is have dinner together,” he said. “My mom is diligent in making sure that we all eat a good, balanced diet, so that hasn’t really changed that much.
“But it’s good to not have to be on a diet all the time.”
Goss wrestled at 145 pounds and had to watch what he ate to maintain that weight.
“Once the season was done, I ballooned up 15 pounds right away,” Goss said. “But I lost about five of that getting in shape to play soccer. Right now, I’m playing at a solid 155 pounds.”
Coming off a state championship performance was a bonus for the start of the soccer season.
“Any time the students get the chance to be part of a state championship, it’s a good thing for everyone,” Houston said.
The Titans are playing solid, .500 soccer in the GSL, where they carried a 6-6 record into Friday’s home game with Rogers, 7-6 overall. The Titans currently are in eighth place in league, but two teams ahead of them, East Valley and Cheney are Class 3A teams that will branch off once the playoffs begin.
If University is the No. 6 seed going into the playoffs, the Titans would open the playoffs Wednesday at the No. 3 seed.
“With the exception of one game, we’ve played everyone close,” Houston said. “If we play that way in the playoffs, anything can happen.”
Goss agreed.
“It’s up to us,” he said. “It’s all in our hands.”