Unselfish Torres Stars in Goal for Panthers

It’s one thing for an athlete to say he or she is willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the team.

Actually doing it, however, is an entirely different matter.

Count Burlingame High goaltending standout Leila Torres among those who actually walk the walk.

Torres is a forward by trade who hadn’t played much goalie before last season and never much cared for the position

But when Burlingame coach Phillip De Rosa called her into his office before her junior season asking her to become the team’s goalie, she did so with some reservations, but without hesitation.

Torres said she loves running freely around the field, and the thrill of scoring and assisting teammates’ goals isn’t bad either. Standing in a confined box waiting around for the action to come to her? Not so much.

But Torres’ height (she’s 5-foot-11) and athleticism (she was an All-Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division middle blocker on the volleyball team) made her an obvious choice at a time when the Panthers desperately needed a goalie. Her older sister, Marie, is a former star Burlingame goalie who now plays at Division II Minot State (N.D.).

That didn’t make it any easier for Torres though.

“It was disappointing when (De Rosa) told me I had to be the goalie,” she acknowledged.

But Torres put her feelings aside and didn’t just do her job, she excelled at it.

She’s emerged as one of the better goalies in the Central Coast Section, and is a big reason the Panthers were in contention for the PAL Bay Division title going into the last week of the regular season.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately for her, she's without question the most gifted and the most talented goalkeeper I've seen come out of this league,” De Rosa said.

The experience hasn’t been all bad.

While Torres admits she struggles to stay in the flow of the game – blame Burlingame’s dominant defense for rarely allowing opponents a clean look at the net – she takes pride in doing her part to impact a game.

“I like the feeling of just being the one who can help the team so we can have a chance to win,” she said. “I just try my hardest not to let anything go by me.”

Not much gets by Torres.

She had a breakout game in a non-league season opener against San Ramon Valley (Danville) on Nov. 30, recording a career-high 13 saves in a 2-0 victory over a perennial East Bay power.

“They were just so blown away with her goalkeeping ability,” De Rosa said.

Behind another stout performance from Torres, Burlingame rolled to a 3-0 win over host Saratoga in a postseason opener on Wednesday. Now the Panthers head to a CCS Division II quarterfinal match against Mitty on Saturday at noon at Prospect High.

Torres’ benefit to the Panthers extends beyond her ability. Whether Torres realizes it or not, by accepting her role she sent a message that’s enabled several of her teammates to play in spots other than their natural position.

“No point in sugar-coating it -- she wasn’t enthralled to be a goalie, but she's accepted the role,” De Rosa said.

“It was a great commitment on her part and it just goes to show her unselfishness and her willingness to do what she could to help the team succeed. When the other players saw her make this concession to play goalie that set an example for the other players that it’s a team game it’s not about ‘me.’”

Playing goalie also figures to help her succeed at the college level.  Torres, who plans to play a field position (probably forward) at CCSF next season, believes her experience tending goal gives her an advantage in the split-second chess match field players engage in with goalies when scoring chances come up.

“Goalies look for (the offensive player’s) feet and how their body is positioned and where you think they're going to be shooting the ball. You look at their footing and what angle they're coming at towards the ball.

“I was not aware of that.”