April 27, 2006

Say hi to Mommy.

That's essentially what Maggie Koch told her new teammates at Georgetown University upon transferring there from Drexel University last year. "Mommy" was her self-imposed nickname, a fitting fusion of dry humor and protective instincts. For no real reason, they adopted it. They adopted her.

Koch does not care to get into the particulars of her falling out at Drexel, only to say that "different things happened, with both lacrosse and school, and I decided I wanted to transfer." However, she did allude to a lack of commitment there to defense, which caused her to get drubbed a number of times as a freshman in 2004.

All things considered, Koch fared OK for the Dragons in 2004. She started 16 games, managed a 55.8 save percentage and allowed 10 goals per game. There were flashes of brilliance - 19 saves against Delaware, 19 saves against Old Dominion, 18 saves against Hofstra - to which at least the Colonial Athletic Association was privy. But Koch's efforts were for naught, her performances by and large going unnoticed by the greater women's lacrosse community.

One game that may have sealed both her decision to transfer and the institution to which she would transfer was an April 18, 2004 meeting with James Madison, during which the Dukes pelted her with 37 shots. Koch did all she could against the barrage, making nine saves.

She was pulled, anyway.

Twice.

James Madison won, 16-6, after building a 14-2 lead in the first half. Koch called it "the worst game I've ever played." Georgetown head coach Ricky Fried, however, had an entirely different take on that game, which he happened to attend for scouting purposes.

"To be honest with you, at that time, Drexel didn't have a whole lot of defense in front of her, so a lot of it was laid at her feet," said Fried, there at the time as an assistant alongside Bowen Holden, a former Georgetown goalie and now the head coach at Boston College. "[Koch] was able to play through, keep her composure, and make some big saves - and not the ones you're supposed to make."

Koch was granted a release from her scholarship. She applied only to Georgetown.

Today, Koch (pronounced "Cook") is certainly a premier and arguably the best goalie in all of Division I. A season after struggling in split duties (Sarah Robinson was the established starter) during her inaugural campaign on the hilltop in 2005, Koch this year had the Hoyas anchored to the nation's No. 3 ranking before Wednesday's overtime loss at No. 16 James Madison. It was Georgetown's first OT loss this season, but by no fault of Koch's. She made a season-high 13 saves.

"I know a lot of goalies in my 13 years who would get pissed off. She gets the ball, kicks it out, and says let's go again. " --Georgetown head coach Ricky Fried, on goalie Maggie Koch

Entering the week, Koch led all Division I goalies with a 6.76 goals against average. And only Megan Orr of Holy Cross boasted a better save efficiency than Koch's 55.9 percent.

"Obviously, right now, we look like geniuses," Fried said Tuesday.

Great Georgetown stoppers have included the likes of Chris Lindsey, a member of the 2005 U.S. Women's World Cup Team, and Holden, the 2001 NCAA Goalie of the Year. Fried sees similarities between Holden and Koch, the latter touting the same kind of stoicism that defined her former mentor.

Asked what it is about the Hoyas' program that produces prolific goalies, Koch replied, "It's just a team that has always emphasized defense, so goalies are able to flourish in this system."

Said defender Stephanie Zodtner: "People who come through Georgetown pass that commitment (to defense) down to other players."

Point well taken. Entering this week, Georgetown's defense ranked No. 1 in the country, tied with Cornell for the fewest goals allowed per game. In addition to Zodtner, Koch is fronted by the likes of All-American Chloe Asselin, and exceptional one-on-one defenders in Kristin Smith and Laura Cipro.

As far as the chicken-and-egg debate about good defenses and great goalies, they contend that the relationship is not defined by which came first. It's symbiotic.

However, "teams need to build their defense from the goalie out, and we couldn't have a stronger foundation than Maggie," said Zodtner. "All the speculation is just people talking. I always knew Maggie was awesome. This whole entire team knew Maggie was awesome. Now, it's pretty obvious to everybody else that she's awesome."

Kind of makes you want to tip your cap and call her your mommy, no?

Her maternal nickname aside, Koch's most comforting quality - to her teammates, at least - is that she remains unfazed by what happens on the field. Her quirks and intricacies are as transparent during overtime as they are during a pre-game sauna. She's still Mommy, "raising the roof" after each hair-raising save.

"She's had some amazing, sick saves. You just want to jump on her and scream," Zodtner said. "Just those moments, she's being totally herself on the field. We're calling her Mommy and she's raising the roof, just being herself."

Georgetown is 3-1 in overtime affairs this season, Koch's resolve reflected in OT wins over North Carolina, Maryland and Notre Dame.

"Maggie's two biggest attributes: One is she has very quick hands, but I think other thing she has that you can't teach is her demeanor," Fried said. "She's pretty laid back, doesn't let too much get to her. Even in practice if she gets hit with shot or something, I know a lot of goalies in my 13 years coaching who would get pissed off. She gets the ball, kicks it out, and says let's go again."

Said Koch: "Lacrosse isn't something I've ever really gotten too upset about. It's my favorite sport but, I mean, it's a game."

Well played, Mommy, well played.