Stepping onto the field for her first varsity soccer game, freshman goalkeeper Evelyn Johnson was excited and nervous.
“I remember warming up silently, trying to mentally prepare for whatever would come my way,” Johnson said of the game against Allderdice. “I remember the adrenaline and anxiety, standing on the field and breathing heavily while waiting for the first whistle to blow.”
But once Johnson made her first game save, all of her anxiety washed away.
“Having my first real game save felt amazing, and it gave me that little extra boost of confidence that I needed,” Johnson said.
Although the Highlanders lost that game, Johnson said she connected with the team and felt they all played with a lot of heart.
Today, as the season continues, Johnson works to remain confident as a freshman who starts in goal for varsity.
“Of course I’m still a little bit intimidated since I’m playing against older kids. But once the whistle blows, everything goes away and it’s just playing the game I love,” Johnson said.
Senior Mary Vargo is inspired by Johnson’s determination and team effort.
“She is hard working, kind, and determined,” Vargo said. “Evelyn has impacted the team by giving us positive energy and by being such an amazing goalkeeper.”
Junior Addison Hirt praised Johnson’s efforts in goal.
“Evelyn seems to have a lot of saves so far this season. She is doing so well,” Hirt said.
Johnson has been playing soccer since she was 5 years old. She said she just had to touch a soccer ball and she fell in love with the sport.
She isn’t the only one in her family with a love for soccer.
“My biggest supporters are my two sisters Julia and Rachel Johnson. Rachel is in seventh grade and she plays soccer too,” Johnson said. “But there’s never any comparison because we play different positions. She’s a defender so we don’t have to compete.”
Johnson’s older sister, Julia Johnson, is a senior varsity tennis player.
In one of the season’s big moments, Johnson helped lead the girls soccer team to victory against one of their toughest rivals, Mt. Lebanon. She earned a shutout as Baldwin won, 1-0.
“It felt great because we haven’t won (against Lebo) in like five years. Especially as a freshman, having a one-goal (victory) felt amazing,” Johnson said.
But there are ups and downs to every season, including a recent 6-0 loss to Peters Township.
“I think that our team tried our best, but we definitely have some things to work on together. It was hard on me mentally because of the amount of goals they got past me,” Johnson said. “But my teammates reminded me that we are all a team, and that it is never one person’s fault.”
After games like that, Johnson has a routine she follows.
“I always take 24 hours after a big loss to reflect, rest, and prepare for next time. That’s something that my club coach, Kelly Mehalko, taught me,” Johnson said.
Johnson stays motivated by seeing the faces of her teammates and by wanting to be the best goalkeeper she can be.
She has adapted to the varsity soccer lifestyle, balancing going to practices, doing schoolwork, and her other major interest, practicing the violin.
“I’m a pretty organized person, so it’s not too hard to balance soccer and school anymore. I just had to adjust,” Johnson said.
