Her last name may read like “goalz,” but Pomona-Pitzer starting goalkeeper Corey Goelz will tell you her name’s correct pronunciation really rhymes with “bells.”

That almost seems unfortunate for a longtime soccer player such as herself.

“But as a goalie, I don’t want ‘goals,’” Goelz contends in good humor.

As a Pomona College senior, Goelz has shown as much on the soccer pitch for the Sagehens women’s soccer team to back up her contention, and her efforts have helped the program scale new heights.

With Goelz in the keeper’s box this season, Pomona-Pitzer has gone undefeated in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at 12-0-3 and boasted a 16-1-3 record overall. The Sagehens ended the regular season ranked 18th in the National Soccer Coaches Association rankings. The team’s only loss came Sept. 7 at Vanguard University, a 2-0 defeat to the Lions in Pomona-Pitzer’s third game of the season.

Last year, Goelz helped the Sagehens reach the NCAA Div. III tournament for only the second time in program history. This year, she’s helped Pomona-Pitzer advance to the tournament’s Sweet 16, a program first.

In 19 games with the Sagehens, Goelz saved 92.9 percent of opponent shots while boasting a 0.31 goals against average. She’s recorded nine shutouts, with eight straight coming during the regular season, and posted 65 saves while allowing only five goals.

Through Nov. 13, Goelz led the NCAA Div. III save percentage rankings (then posting 95.4 percent) and her goals against average ranked fourth in the nation among goalkeepers.

Her work between the posts didn’t go unnoticed. Goelz was named the conference Athlete of the Week in October and was an all-conference first team selection in November.

When asked, Goelz doesn’t hesitate to say she’s having the strongest season of her soccer career. She attributes her success to those around her on the soccer field.

“My team this year is a really great team,” she said. “It’s a cohesive group. The defense is really strong, we’ve had tons of shutouts. We work well together. I feel confident, so when there are times to make saves, it’s been working out.”

A 2012 Mercer Island High School grad, Goelz has played soccer since the age of 5. She grew up playing recreational youth soccer on Mercer Island and played premier soccer with Eastside FC from the fourth grade through her high school years. Her career as a goalie began with her Eastside FC U13 team.

Goelz said playing as a goalkeeper has taught her how to have a short memory when things don’t go her way.

“If you make a mistake you can’t dwell on it because the next thing you know, another play is happening,” she said. “You have to make decisions quickly and that applies to my life. You have to make a decision and go with it and go with confidence. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but you can’t measure everything by the outcome.”

Goelz went on to play four years with the MIHS varsity girls soccer team, where she twice led KingCo 3A in shutouts and twice was an all-league first team selection, also earning league co-MVP honors her senior year. As a freshman, Goelz was a member of the last Mercer Island girls soccer team to reach the 3A state finals in 2009.

“It was awesome to be part of that group,” she said. “At the time, I didn’t realize how special that was.”

Goelz will graduate from Pomona this spring with a degree in public policy and a focus in economics. Heading into her final season of college soccer, she said one of her team’s goals was to win its conference during the regular season, which Pomona-Pitzer was able to do.

The Sagehens did not concede a goal at any of their home games during the regular season.

For the postseason, Goelz said team goals shift to taking things one game at a time. Should the season end in the Sweet 16 or the tournament final, Goelz said it won’t change her overall outlook of her final year of collegiate soccer.

“It’s already been an incredible season and historic for the program. I’m really happy with everything that’s happened,” she said. “If we win another couple games, that would be incredible. But if we face a team that’s better than us and beats us, I won’t be too worried about that.”

Pomona-Pitzer has gone undefeated in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at 12-0-3 and boasted a 16-1-3 record overall. Contributed photo.