Mehlville Soccer Goalie Signs up for College Play

The Mehlville High School boys' soccer program saw one of its key players take his athletic career to the next level at a signing ceremony Thursday afternoon at the school. Senior Blake Westerman, who plays goalie for the team, will be playing for St. Louis Community College-Forest Park next fall.

Although he has grown comfortable in the position, Westerman began his career guarding the net almost by accident. In eighth grade, the club team he played for found itself without a goalie and Westerman volunteered, motivated more by a desire to help his team than a wish to play goalkeeper.

“I wasn’t too excited about it, but I just stuck with it, and it really paid off,” he said.

After that point, Westerman stayed in front of the net and boys' coach Tom Harper said by the time Westerman was starting varsity as a junior, the once-reluctant goalie was making a big difference. That year, Harper said the team went 20-5.

“There are not many things he didn’t do for us,” Harper said. “He made some pretty unbelievable saves in his years. He has progressed, and he is more than qualified to play at the next level.”

More recently, Harper said Westerman was instrumental in the team’s 1-0 defeat of interdistrict rival Oakville High School last fall.

“He had a huge game and made a couple of saves where ordinarily (the ball) would have found the back of the net,” he said.

Such shut-outs, Westerman said, are part of the reason he enjoys the position.

“It feels good to know during a shut-out that they weren’t able to get past you,” he said.

Westerman will be joining fellow Mehlville Senior Meggin Werner at St. Louis Community College. Werner signed to play goalkeeper for the college’s womens' squad Tuesday.

Harper, who coaches the girls' and boys' teams, said he hopes the college-level attention will draw interest and prestige to the high school’s programs while motivating its current team members.