To be a goalie is never an easy job. You are the last line of defense when something goes wrong, you are often held to blame and when you do something right, it is often just expected to be that way, it can be a thankless task. Add to that the fact that balls, pucks, sliotars (see hurling) and more could be flying at your face (depending on your chosen sport) makes it a pretty scary affair. One important job for a goalie that is difficult is the need to pay attention for the entire game. If the ball is in the opposition territory it is very easy to switch off and get distracted. 99% of the time it will work out fine but 1% of the time it will leave a goalie looking plain foolish.
When arch rivals Denver University Pioneers and Utah State University played, that is exactly what happened. The ball was in the Denver defensive zone and the game was not live. The Utah goalie switched off, he walked away from the goal and actually started chatting to the crowd! The puck was thrown in, the game went live, Denver won position. The ball fell to defenseman Robert Biedron who, with 15 seconds remaining, scored a goal from 200 feet away.
The Utah goalie, Keegan McHenry, only realized the game was live as the shot was fired and ran back towards the goal. He dived through the air to try to stop the puck in time but he was too late. The puck smashed into the net and the buzzer went. The Denver team ran to Biedron and jumped on top of him in celebration.
While Keegan McHenry made an incredible error, credit must go to Biedron for his awareness to see an open goal, his courage to take the shot and his ability to actually make the shot. This is one victory that will be remembered countless times as the rivalry continues into the future.
