RUSSELVILLE, Ark. – Ouachita sophomore Isaac Murie was named GAC/MIAA Goalkeeper of the Week after two stellar performances kept the Tigers unbeaten in conference play last week.
It was a breakout stretch for the Jacksonville, Fla. native making his first two starts of the season. Despite facing a barrage of 38 total shots from opponents across two games, Murie collected 13 saves against 15 shots on goal. Murie anchored the Tigers to a 1-0-1 record at a pivotal time by stepping in as the next man up while All-GAC goalkeeper Dillon Staal remains sidelined dealing with a back injury.
Murie turned in a signature outing with five saves in his first start last Thursday as the Tigers rolled into Searcy and earned a 2-1 road win at Harding. His poise in traffic against 15 shots, including six shots on target, plus the ability to control crosses inside the box allowed Ouachita to capture its first road victory and first Great American Conference win of the season.
Less than 42 hours later, Murie was tasked to limit the high-powered offense of the No. 14 ranked Hillcats of Rogers State. Murie needed to elevate his play to stand tall against one of the league's top attacks. The Hillcats outshot the Tigers 23-3 with nine shots on goal, but Murie was immaculate between the posts and finished with a career-high eight saves. Murie conceded the lone goal on a penalty kick late in the 79th minute, which ultimately proved to settle the 1-1 draw.
Ouachita head coach Wes Holifield acknowledged he was incredibly proud of the way Murie managed to step into both games and take command of the goal. Murie's effort this past week reflects the next-man-up mentality that defines Ouachita's locker room. Through two starts, Murie owns a .765 save percentage, while allowing just four goals on 40 shots faced this season.
At 6-foot-3, Murie's lengthy frame came up big for the Tigers when forced to eliminate rebounds and gather shots soaring through the air, which were key areas that he focused on improving this season. With an incredibly close unit that pushes each other to be the best version of themselves every day, Coach Holifield confessed he carries a rare confidence in starting any of Ouachita's four goalkeepers to deliver a quality performance when their name is called.
The Tigers continue GAC play this week with a home match against Northeastern State on Wednesday at Kluck Field in Arkadelphia. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. With six matches left to play in the regular season schedule, Ouachita's four points leaves the team sixth in the GAC standings, needing to surge inside the top four to advance to the GAC/MIAA tournament.
