It takes guts to be a goalkeeper. It’s a challenge. It’s a risk. It’s a stage.

Jenna O'Dell (#12 2011 Great Lakes Top 20) is a good goalkeeper because she relishes everything that comes with it. She’s not only interested in the glory, but accepting of the responsibility.

Her favorite moment of a given match?

When her defense breaks down and she’s alone on that island, just her and the attacker. It’s her moment to confront failure and court success fearlessly.

But what if the other team scores?

“Then you blame your defense,” O’Dell said, laughing.

“No, every goalkeeper gets scored on. You can’t be afraid of that, you just pick your head up and keep playing.”

O’Dell, the U18 Michigan Jaguars keeper, is a pure competitor who wants nothing more than to be tested every time she steps on the field.

It’s a little counterintuitive really. If the ultimate goal for a goalkeeper is to keep a clean sheet than the ideal scenario is sit back in the box while the defense keeps the ball in front of them.

But that’s not O’Dell, and she’s never been one to hide.

“I just love shot stopping,” O’Dell said. “I love in training when we do finishing drills and the offense shoots at me. It’s an awesome feeling to make a sweet save.”

O’Dell makes more than her share and it’s led to plenty of success for both O’Dell and her teammates.

The Jaguars captured the State Cup last season and this year they’re back in the final preparing for a match against the Michigan Hawks.

And as the Jaguars move closer to another regional appearance, they can point, in part, to O’Dell’s tenacity in goal.

A participant in ESP and member of regional teams alongside players like Molly Huber, Shea Groom, Delaney Kiely, Kaysie Clark and Katie Brown, O’Dell is heading to Iowa State next season for the next phase of her career.

“I’m excited. I just want to do my part in making the team better and trying to make a difference,” O’Dell said. “I kind of have mixed feelings about this being my last year (of club). I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, but when it does I’ll be like ‘wow.’ ”   

Until that time, she’s got work to do. Jaguars goalkeeper coach Jim Grewe has worked with O’Dell for the last couple of years and admires her knack for finding herself in front of the ball.

“At about 5-foot-6, she’s not a huge presence so some of the saves she makes in the upper corners you can’t believe,” Grewe said. “With some keepers at this stage you’re always concerned they are going to give up a bad goal at any moment, but she’s one of the most steady keepers I’ve ever been around.

“She’s a natural shot stopper.”

And always has been.
 
O’Dell became a full-time goalkeeper at the age of eight. And while the rest of her peers were running away from the ball she was running towards it.

“My older sister and one of my cousins were goalkeepers as well and I always loved it,” she said. “It made me want to practice, get better and try to perfect it.”

O’Dell is still trying. And still savoring every challenge brought her way.