M. Soccer Gets Backup From Unusual Places

Neither freshman James Treadway nor senior Russell Mosier thought they would play soccer before this season. With a freakish turn of events, they’re both on the Harvard men’s varsity team as back-up keepers to an injury-riddled goaltending crew.

Coming into this year, the varsity goalie situation was set with junior Jamie Roth to start and sophomore Ryan Johnson as the reliable backup, just like last year. But both Roth and Johnson went down with injuries, and junior Conrad Jones stepped into the leading role.

After posting a 0.33 goals against average and a .909 save percentage in three games, Jones reaggravated a back injury in the game against Fairfield on Sept. 17.

That left the Crimson without a healthy option in net—Jones was out indefinitely, Roth decided his groin injury was serious enough to red shirt the season, and Johnson was still recovering from calf and shoulder problems.

Harvard coach John Kerr was in a bind. So he looked for outside help and found a rookie and a veteran to fill the void.

Four years ago, Mosier was one of recruits in the Class of 2004. He played just one season for the Crimson before decided to take a break from soccer.

“We all know Russ well,” said captain Andrew Old. “He is a very good goalkeeper but decided he didn’t want to stick with it.”

In fact, Mosier’s reasons for leaving the game were simple.

“I finally got burned out,” Mosier said.

When Harvard found itself with only one active goalie on their roster, they got connected with Mosier, if only by accident.

“I had heard my roommate [senior lacrosse player Anders Johnson] talk about [the goalie situation],” said Mosier. “Then I ran into some of the [soccer] guys out on the street, and they brought it up to me. So I called up captain Andrew Old and coach John Kerr.”

Mosier said at first he was only half-serious about rejoining the team, but soon he made his return to the field despite playing varsity volleyball team as well. Now four mornings he gets up at 7 a.m. for volleyball practice and then goes to soccer practice in the afternoon.

Originally Mosier was a practice goalie only but he played last weekend for the first time this season. He came in for Johnson for the last 10:55 of the 4-1 victory over Dartmouth.

Mosier registered one save on the only shot he faced.

“I’m playing better than I thought,” Mosier said. “I’ve been having a lot of fun with it since I got back.”

While Mosier was playing for the first time since freshman year, Treadway is enjoying a rookie season that he hadn’t expected to exist in the first place.

“It has been a huge surprise because I came to Harvard thinking that I wouldn’t even play soccer,” Treadway said. “Then I heard about JV tryouts and remembered how much I loved playing soccer growing up, so I tried out.”

From there, fate seemed to take over, as with Mosier. Treadway is still starting all the junior varsity games but now moonlights as the third-string varsity goalie, although he has yet to play a single minute.

There’s no denying that Treadway has been thrown into the life of Harvard athletics. Yet he denies feeling overwhelmed by such unexpected circumstances.

“I haven’t felt any pressure being a freshman,” said Treadway. “Any pressure that I have felt has come from the adjustment that I’ve had to make having had a lot less soccer experience growing up than the rest of the kids on the team have had.”

Unlike the majority of players on the team, Treadway never played club soccer, instead deciding to focus on his commitments to schoolwork and his high school team. But his pressure-free attitude has helped him settle into his new role.

“Being new to a whole group of guys who are close friends is tough,” said Old. “But he’s fit in.”

In fact, the best way to sum up Treadway’s attitude has been thankful.

“I love going to practice every day,” Treadway said. “Ryan, Russ, and Jamie have all been really helpful in teaching me so I can get better. It’s just starting to pay off right now as I find myself getting much more consistent.”

And while his netminding is becoming more consistent, Harvard hopes that its goalie situation remains constant for its last three games of the year.