SOMERS, N.Y. - When Somers faced John Jay East Fishkill on Monday, Oct. 14, Julia Schmidberger was five stops away from her 200th save. And the stadium mic was definitely cued up to announce the milestone. The moment came, the words rang out, and the fanbase learned firsthand that you can’t believe everything you hear.
“Officially according to the coaches, one of the saves didn’t count,” revealed the goalie.
But Schmidberger saw no reason to let the facts get in the way of a good story.
“It was still 200 hundred in my heart,” the senior joked, and the actual honor was simply a matter of waiting a few days for the next game.
“My teammates brought up posters and started cheering,” she said. “So, it was really nice to happen on Senior Night.
The journey didn’t begin in goal, though.
“I played midfield for most of my time when I was young,” Schmidberger said.
Moving on, her SYSO teams started looking for a goalie, and a change of pace sounded good.
“I like to try new things,” she added.
From there, her aptitude replaced the novelty.
“If you’re good at something, you tend to like it,” said the senior, and by 7th grade, Schmidberger was on board - until she wasn’t.
When Covid arrived, the Tusker decided to part ways with the sport.
“I quit soccer, I was done with it,” the goalie explained.
Of course, the world eventually restarted, and one of the Yorktown clubs needed a goalie. She obliged, and the fire was really relit on the sideline.
“It was the coach there that kind of doubled downed for me,” said Schmidberger.
Next, she entered high school, and the logjam at goal could not be missed. Five goaltenders in front of her, Schmidberger reasoned, “I’m not going to start until senior year.”
Nonetheless, the freshman quickly forced an attitude adjustment.
“I might as well make the best of it and try my hardest,” she said.
A no lose approach, she saw results by sophomore year. After beginning the year as a backup, Schmidberger was pressed into action when the starter was hurt.
Halfway through the game versus Pearl River, the goalie remembers how nervous she was, and the moment that welcomed her to the party.
“I hit the shot over the post,” she said. “It was my first big save.”
Schmidberger didn’t see the deflection as an anomaly either. “I was like 'oh, I can actually hold my own,'” she recalled.
As it turned out, the underclassman did more than that. “I kept the spot in the sectionals,” Schmidberger said.
The nerves remained too - until they didn’t. With the support of my teammates and coaches, she said, “I settled in very easily, and it helped me grow my confidence.”
She was named junior captain in 2023, and new ground again had the help of her teammates. She thanked Annie Maguire and Jordan McMorrow, saying, “They really helped me grow and be a leader.”
A necessity when quarterbacking the defense. But leadership also means creating a trusting environment where there’s a two-way flow of questions and answers. “It’s something I really value,” Schmidberger said.
Onto to the state semi-finals, she isn’t only thinking about another run in 2024. So there’s always counsel for Olivia Tatela, and like any rookie goaltender, there’s a learning curve.
Of course, Schmidberger knows from experience and takes strides to share in times of distress. “First thing I say is, it’s ok,” she relayed. “We have to remember this is a sport. We do it for fun, and there’s no reason to take it to heart.”
Instead, the idea is to acknowledge what was done well and reflect on what can be improved. “Otherwise, said Schmidberger, “It will affect your play.”
Either way, Schmidberger predicts good things for her successor. Amazing fundamentals and always ready with questions, said Schmidberger, “I think she is going to be fantastic.”
The time will come, and Schmidberger will be carrying on. Staten Island College and majoring in biochemistry, the players looked like they were having fun and the sentiment felt like home.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for me,” she concluded.
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