鈥淚t鈥檚 a dangerous position,” says 草莓社区 goalkeeper . “I鈥檝e gotten concussed so many times and once there was a girl who side-tackled into my face. You get taken out all the time but you just have to deal with it. You honestly have to be a strong player to be in there. You have to take the hard hits.鈥�
Borg (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) speaks with experience when discussing the perils of being a keeper on the field. The , Borg has worked (and played) through injuries her entire career, yet she recently moved into the No. 2 spot on EMU鈥檚 career saves list, while also holding a career best .741 save percentage.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know that EMU held records for goalies with the most saves,鈥� Borg admitted. 聽鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to have something that shows your hard work. As goalkeeper, you don鈥檛 get recognized a lot.鈥�
In a game against Randolph-Macon on Oct. 13, she gathered 15 saves, making it the sixth consecutive game she finished with double-digit saves and improving her total career number to 387.
Abby Diffenbach holds the women鈥檚 record with 457 saves.
After the women鈥檚 game against Stevenson on Sept. 5, Borg had a wake-up-call from head coach about her potential. She recalls him saying, 鈥淵ou need to show the ODAC that you鈥檙e the best goalkeeper out there.鈥� 聽This fueled her to work even harder.
鈥淎fter that my work ethic increased so much, also because it鈥檚 my last year of playing,鈥� the senior said. 聽鈥淚 don鈥檛 care at all that I鈥檓 injured. 聽I want to show the players that even if I鈥檓 hurting, I鈥檓 still out there working my hardest.”
Borg began her journey playing soccer at the age of three. A versatile player, she has played every position.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in the goal, you can see the position of every single person,” she said. “You鈥檙e able to observe everyone and know how they play. Growing up, my coaches wanted me to learn every field position, so in the past I would do a lot of the field drills and then they鈥檇 say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e doing shooting drills now, get in the goal.鈥� 聽So I鈥檝e learned all of the positions. 聽A coach can literally put me anywhere they want.鈥�
Borg has also been a thrower for the team, which has added extra stress. Last April, during the ODAC conference meet, the wear and tear became unexpectedly noticeable.
鈥淚 was throwing discus and as I whipped my arm, my hand went completely numb,鈥� she said. 聽鈥淚 was supposed to do really well but I didn’t because it scared me so much. After discus, I went to throw javelin and it happened again.鈥�
Doctors informed Borg she had tennis elbow, an irritation of the tissue connecting the forearm muscle to the elbow, but this may be the least of her worries. She has also had reconstructive surgery on both of her ankles.
鈥淭he ligaments in them are torn,鈥� Borg noted. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e supposed to have three ligaments in your ankles but my right one only has two. Then in my left ankle they鈥檙e really stretched out so there鈥檚 no support. 聽It causes a lot of other problems to happen just because I have no support there. Right now I just tape them.鈥�
Due to these injurie,s Borg has spent much of her time in physical therapy. She appreciates the work of physical therapists so much that she is majoring in .
鈥淚 like the idea of helping people and watching them heal,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving physical therapists help me through my injuries has made them like family to me. I love the atmosphere: you鈥檙e having fun while also helping someone.鈥�
Borg is soaking in the rest of her goalkeeping career by playing with no regrets. Her mantra is 鈥淲ork hard and understand what your role is. Develop that role and then take pride in it.鈥�