University of Georgia Athletics
Brown 'Has Been Massive' In Goal For Bulldogs
October 23, 2024 | Soccer, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
One of the reasons that soccer is such an interesting game is that it is almost paradoxical. It is at the same time both very difficult to score in soccer and very difficult to stop a good shot on goal.
Life as a goalkeeper is seldom easy, even if many of the shots a keeper faces aren't on target and may not have to be saved at all. For Georgia junior Jordan Brown, in her second full season in goal for the Bulldogs (7-4-5, 3-2-3 SEC), she's playing better than she ever has.
Last Friday, in the Bulldogs' 2-0 win over Tennessee at the Turner Soccer Complex, Brown made seven saves and earned her second shutout in a row and eighth clean sheet of the season (fourth-best in the SEC). On Monday, Brown was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
"She has elevated her game, she has elevated her leadership, and we've added more to her plate," Georgia coach Keidane McAlpine said. "We've asked her to be more of a playmaker, we've asked her to be on the ball more, we've asked her to do more to start the play. To have that has been massive."
In 1,440 minutes in goal this season, which is every minute of all 16 games so far, Brown, the 5-foot-11 keeper from Las Vegas, has surrendered 15 goals. Her 0.94 goals against average ranks sixth in the conference, and her save percentage of 86.4 — 95 saves to 15 goals allowed — ranks second.
Brown's 95 saves this season are 30 more than anyone else in the conference, and her 5.94 saves per game rank first in the SEC and 16th in the country.
"I feel like I've performed well," Brown said when asked to rate her play this season. "I mean, every game I just try to keep my team in it as much as I can, and even if I don't get the shutout, I just try to get as many saves as I can. Shutouts are nice, too."
Always.
After being moved into the starting spot late in her freshman season, and producing five shutouts in eight games, Brown has been a stable presence in goal the past two seasons. She said she was a bit wide-eyed in 2022 when McAlpine made her the starter for the final eight matches, but she rose to the occasion and was even named to the SEC All-Tournament Team. Brown made the All-Tournament Team again last season after playing a key role in the Bulldogs' run to the program's first SEC tournament championship.
Now, with thousands of minutes in goal behind her, Brown is a veteran who has been challenged in about every way possible in her career. As the defensive personnel in front of her has had to change a good bit this season, she's rolled with it.
"Our ability to plug-and-play now has been massive, but we're only able to do that because the person behind them is so calm and composed and has range and is making big saves," McAlpine said of Brown.
For Brown, she said the biggest change from her early days in goal for Georgia to now has been her "mindset."
"When I came in as a freshman, I just put so much pressure on myself and I was kind of like frantic," she said. "But as the years went on, I really just wanted to focus on calming, doing my job, taking it one game at a time, as opposed to looking at the overall season."
Brown said she still gets the pre-game jitters just like she did as a freshman. She knows much better now how to handle and embrace them.
"Before the game, you just do your breathing, reset, listen to my music, my usual music," she said, adding that The Weeknd is her usual pregame music.
It's The Weeknd's "The Morning" that is her must-listen before every game. Brown acknowledged that the song has lots of colorful language not suitable for some, "but it keeps me calm."
And a calm Brown has been a very good Brown for the Bulldogs this season. Georgia needs that Thursday at No. 13 Auburn and for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs are tied for sixth in the SEC standings with one road and one home game (Sunday against No. 24 Texas) remaining.
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Staff Writer
One of the reasons that soccer is such an interesting game is that it is almost paradoxical. It is at the same time both very difficult to score in soccer and very difficult to stop a good shot on goal.
Life as a goalkeeper is seldom easy, even if many of the shots a keeper faces aren't on target and may not have to be saved at all. For Georgia junior Jordan Brown, in her second full season in goal for the Bulldogs (7-4-5, 3-2-3 SEC), she's playing better than she ever has.
Last Friday, in the Bulldogs' 2-0 win over Tennessee at the Turner Soccer Complex, Brown made seven saves and earned her second shutout in a row and eighth clean sheet of the season (fourth-best in the SEC). On Monday, Brown was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
"She has elevated her game, she has elevated her leadership, and we've added more to her plate," Georgia coach Keidane McAlpine said. "We've asked her to be more of a playmaker, we've asked her to be on the ball more, we've asked her to do more to start the play. To have that has been massive."
In 1,440 minutes in goal this season, which is every minute of all 16 games so far, Brown, the 5-foot-11 keeper from Las Vegas, has surrendered 15 goals. Her 0.94 goals against average ranks sixth in the conference, and her save percentage of 86.4 — 95 saves to 15 goals allowed — ranks second.
Brown's 95 saves this season are 30 more than anyone else in the conference, and her 5.94 saves per game rank first in the SEC and 16th in the country.
"I feel like I've performed well," Brown said when asked to rate her play this season. "I mean, every game I just try to keep my team in it as much as I can, and even if I don't get the shutout, I just try to get as many saves as I can. Shutouts are nice, too."
Always.
After being moved into the starting spot late in her freshman season, and producing five shutouts in eight games, Brown has been a stable presence in goal the past two seasons. She said she was a bit wide-eyed in 2022 when McAlpine made her the starter for the final eight matches, but she rose to the occasion and was even named to the SEC All-Tournament Team. Brown made the All-Tournament Team again last season after playing a key role in the Bulldogs' run to the program's first SEC tournament championship.
Now, with thousands of minutes in goal behind her, Brown is a veteran who has been challenged in about every way possible in her career. As the defensive personnel in front of her has had to change a good bit this season, she's rolled with it.
"Our ability to plug-and-play now has been massive, but we're only able to do that because the person behind them is so calm and composed and has range and is making big saves," McAlpine said of Brown.
For Brown, she said the biggest change from her early days in goal for Georgia to now has been her "mindset."
"When I came in as a freshman, I just put so much pressure on myself and I was kind of like frantic," she said. "But as the years went on, I really just wanted to focus on calming, doing my job, taking it one game at a time, as opposed to looking at the overall season."
Brown said she still gets the pre-game jitters just like she did as a freshman. She knows much better now how to handle and embrace them.
"Before the game, you just do your breathing, reset, listen to my music, my usual music," she said, adding that The Weeknd is her usual pregame music.
It's The Weeknd's "The Morning" that is her must-listen before every game. Brown acknowledged that the song has lots of colorful language not suitable for some, "but it keeps me calm."
And a calm Brown has been a very good Brown for the Bulldogs this season. Georgia needs that Thursday at No. 13 Auburn and for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs are tied for sixth in the SEC standings with one road and one home game (Sunday against No. 24 Texas) remaining.
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Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
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