More than anything else this season, the Oakland University men’s soccer team has been proficient at keeping the ball out of their own net. Oakland’s defense has continued its tradition of stingy defensive play this year, with a 0.67 goals against average for the season.

 

No one has contributed more to this success than goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt, whose play in September earned him Summit League Player of the Month honors.

 

“Great goalies have to do a couple things,” head coach Eric Pogue said. “They have to not make any simple mistakes that would take us out of the game. They also have to sometimes make great saves to keep us in games. Mitch Hildebrandt does both of these things and he does them on a consistent basis.”

 

Hildebrandt has recorded six shutouts on the season, including one Sept. 30 against Michigan in which he had to make a season-high 14 saves.

 

A graduate of Livonia Stevenson High School, Hildebrandt acknowledged that he has played well thus far, but attributes much of his success to his defensemen.

 

“Machel James has been unbelievable this year. Vuk Popovic has been rock solid and James Leutzinger has not played like a freshman,” Hildebrandt said.

 

“Our defense has been superb, but there are still a couple times in games where the team gets a chance that I think will be a sure goal,” Pogue said. “Mitch has been great all year at stopping these chances.”

 

Pogue knows though that if not for Hildebrandt’s play, the season might have a much different look than it does currently, as Oakland sits atop the Summit League standings with an undefeated conference record.

 

Hildebrandt says that in a way he looks forward to these opportunities. “When I get called into action, I do get kind of excited because my job is to make those saves,” he said.

 

According to Hildebrandt, much of his team’s success comes from the confidence that Pogue has shown in his players.

 

“We always knew we had talent, but Pogue really has instilled confidence in us from the very beginning,” Hildebrandt said.

 

“We lost the entire center of our team from last year. We lost our goalie, our center back, our center midfielders and our center forward,” Hildebrandt explained.

 

Hildebrandt said he felt especially comfortable this season after spending the last two years on the sidelines and learning from former keeper Steve Clark, as well as Pogue, who is a former standout goalie himself.

 

“Pogue being our goalkeeper trainer the last two years has made me feel really confident,” Hildebrandt said. “Now that he is the head coach he does not spend that extra time with the goalkeepers, but he still places a large emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.”

 

One of the other challenges that Hildebrandt faced upon taking over the starting role was having to immediately step into a leadership role.

 

“As the goalkeeper, you are always a leader,” Hildebrandt said. “As a goalie I can see the whole field so I am in a position where I can see when our team needs to settle down or focus.”

 

Hildebrandt also said that he believes learning from Clark put him in a position to be successful when his time finally came to play.

 

“When I came in to Oakland, I was not in the greatest shape and I think that it was because the game did not challenge me particularly when I was in high school,” he said. “Then I came here and I saw how hard Steve worked and I realized what it took to be successful at the collegiate level.”

 

For Hildebrandt, playing at the next level is his ultimate goal. “There is nothing I would rather do than be on a soccer field for 90 minutes. It is all I have ever wanted to do.”