Woodside's Dunlap a Quick Study in Goal

Emily Dunlap has some unforgettable memories from watching her older brother Ryan play goalie on the Woodside High water polo team.

But there is one in particular that stands out.

“There were just like two seconds left threw the ball across the pool and it went into the other goal,” she said. “That’s my favorite story.”

These days, it is Dunlap herself whose work in goal at the Woodside pool is creating a bit of a commotion.

Dunlap, a sophomore with no goaltending experience at any level going into this season, has proven herself to be a quick study, solidifying a crucial position for defending Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division championship team that experienced heavy graduation losses.

Dunlap, who played at least four field positions on the varsity team last season, is excelling in a high-pressure role, replacing 2010 PAL Ocean Goalie of the Year Yia Kaliatzidis. The Wildcats also graduated league MVP Hayley Parker, who is now playing at Division III Whittier College.

Dunlap is averaging just under 10 saves through three league games for Woodside (2-1 PAL Ocean), highlighted by a 14-save performance that was the silver lining in a 17-6 loss to Hillsdale on Sept 22.

Woodside coach Laura Reynolds said that Dunlap’s potential had been apparent to coaches, based on her height (she’s 5-foot-9) and her aptitude. Dunlap excels in the classroom too, maintaining a 3.7 GPA taking some AP courses.

Her rapid development at goalie, however, is just about unheard of, Reynolds said.

“I’m not surprised, but I’m amazed at how quickly” she’s picked it up, Reynolds said.

“She’s so adept.”

And if her progression six weeks into her goaltending career is any indication, Dunlap’s potential appears to be just about off the charts.

Dunlap hopes to play college water polo.

“Since the start of practice in August she’s just been phenomenal,” Reynolds said.

“She’s going to be amazing by her senior year.”

Dunlap said she developed an understanding of what it takes to be a goalie from watching her brother, and still gets pointers from him.

She seems to have put at least some of that knowledge into practice.

“She’s aggressive,” Reynolds said. “She’s instinctually in the spot we need her to be.

“She’s blocking shots that she just shouldn’t be blocking.”

Dunlap was initially reluctant to play goalie, however, saying that she wanted to establish her own identity instead of just blindly following in her brother’s footsteps.

Ryan Dunlap is a former PAL Bay Goalie of the Year.

“I wanted to try (playing) the field instead of goalie because I wanted to do something my brother didn’t do,” she said. “I didn’t want to be in his shadow.”

Playing a field position enabled her to gain varsity experience as one of three Wildcat freshmen last season. Her playing time behind Kaliatzidis likely would have been limited had she even made the varsity as a goalie.

Additionally, she said she wanted to develop a better understanding of how the game works, which she doesn’t think she’d have gotten had just moved straight into playing goalie.

“I thought if I was going to become a goalie I would like to have a better idea of how to play the field,” she said.

She believes that experience has made her a more effective goalie.

“I’ve learned about how the game works, instead of going from the point of view of a goalie who’s never played on the field, and not knowing how to drive and pass the ball,” she said. “It’s those kinds of things that help me think like a (field) player.”

And of course her experience playing field positions has better prepared her to heave the kind jaw-dropping shot her brother once took.

“She’s just the type of person who seems like she’s capable of it, so no, I’m not surprised,” Reynolds said of the qualities that make Dunlap’s transition an easy one.

“She’s just one of those really unique people.”