At the end of the day, that’s everybody’s job.” I do my best to pull what I can out of players to help them get better. I try my best to be that guy, especially in the locker room. You don’t have to have him do anything special to keep you on your toes. “You want the goalkeeper to be your rock. “As a player, you want consistency,” Alexander said. That being my first game here really made me want to play for this school.”Īlthough it’s only his second year with the Gamecocks, he wants to take on a leadership role in making the program successful. I’ve played in many different scenarios, and I’ve played in many different places. I think there were six thousand people there. “The home game against Clemson was my first introduction to South Carolina and Columbia as a soccer community. “I didn’t get the preseason I wanted and was sort of thrown into a game at Ohio State,” Alexander said. Tony and I talked a lot about that keeping my mentality right.”Īlexander’s collegiate career didn’t start the way he had hoped as knee surgery before the 2022 season kept him out of the lineup initially, but it didn’t take him long to appreciate where he was as South Carolina led the nation in attendance last year. “When I went back to Vancouver, I put my work in on the field, but it was definitely a mentality switch. “That’s all you can ask for from a coaching staff when you’re a goalkeeper. “Me and (head coach) Tony (Annan) definitely had a few chats in his office about some goals, but it was all support at the end of the day,” Alexander said. In trying to take his game to the next level, Alexander went through some humbling experiences, but he knew his coaches still had faith in him. I want to be that sturdiness and backbone that the team needs.” I just want to be that brick wall in the back. They’re keeping that consistency to help me do my job. I know the guys in front of me are working hard and improving. This year, I just want to find some consistency. “I definitely came in a little naive to college soccer, maybe thinking I was the big man on campus, so to speak. Everything is earned,” said Alexander, who started 16 matches as a freshman and also gained more experience in the offseason playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps’ MLS NextPRO squad. Now, the sophomore from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada is aiming to use his experiences to take the next step in not only becoming a better goalkeeper, but to elevate the program. Ben Alexander learned a lot about college soccer during his freshman year at South Carolina.
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