The Backbone Of The Spartan Defense
9/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 28, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - A natural-born leader. A calm and skillful defensive player. An exemplary athlete and student, who earned Academic All-Big Ten honors last year. Easy to look up to and experienced, Michigan State's women's soccer's junior Erin Doan keeps the heart of the Spartan defense beating.
Doan's love of the game and enthusiasm for all that she does is only part of the reason she is one of the Big Ten's top defensive players.
In her three seasons at Michigan State, after finishing an All-American career at Dearborn High School, Doan has started every game. Her streak of 54 consecutive starts is the longest active streak and she could become the only player ever to start every game in her four-year career at MSU. Don't think she would ever boast about such a record, though, or try to convince anyone that playing in every game has been hard.
As a freshman, Doan broke her nose not just once, but three times. Nothing ever stops Doan - she played with a face mask through much of her freshman season. Now a junior, but still not completely injury-free, Doan pushes on. With a shin injury and a couple setbacks this year, the co-captain has been a magnificent leader for the Spartan defense, which has allowed only 1.3 goals per game through its first nine contests.
Maybe there's a reason that you might not notice her tough interior with her smooth skills on the field: simply enough, she doesn't boast a tough-girl front.
Of herself Doan says, "I'm poised and I'm the organized one, so people don't see me as tough."
Calm and skillful, Doan does what a great defensive player should do in order to keep an organized backfield ready for action. She knows the game and has a lot of experience playing with the girls on the team.
"She is soft-spoken, a great person on and off the field, and an awesome example for other players," head coach Tom Saxton said.
She keeps the Spartan defense running smoothly, to the tune of three shutouts through nine games this year, but she knows her teammates well and is quick to acknowledge what each of them can add to the game.
"Kelly Hannon is great centrally. She's a tough-nosed player and I'm the calm one, so we are able to really complement each other," Doan said.
The great Spartan defense doesn't stop there. Doan speaks highly of senior co-captain Jenee Witherspoon, "an athletic, fast, and great defensive player." She says the same goes for freshman Katie Rehor.
"Katie is a nice and innocent girl, but when she gets on the field, she is aggressive and a real tough player," Doan said.
What Doan looks most forward to during soccer season is Big Ten play, which starts this Friday when the Spartans take on regionally-ranked Indiana at 3 p.m. at Old College Field.
"Each year is a chance for a new start and I look forward to that, and winning," Doan said.
Moreover, playing at Michigan State is about much more than just the soccer games, including the fantastic team camaraderie. One can feel that sense of companionship when listening to Doan talk about her team.
"The girls are amazing," she said. "I grew up with a lot of them, and even the ones I only met at MSU still feel like family. We have great chemistry on and off the field and that is really important. We're all best friends."
Doan has nothing but great things to say about her team, and that shouldn't come as a surprise. Saxton said, "She's not very outspoken, but when she does speak, the other players definitely listen."
A SoccerBuzz.com All-Great Lakes Region defender as a freshman, Doan may not be the most aggressive player, but it goes without saying that she has a powerful presence on the field.
Even if she was willing to, it wouldn't be necessary for No. 6 to sing her own praises. If anyone wants to acknowledge Doan's exemplary style of play, all they need is to watch the Spartans play a game. It's easy to figure out that behind that soft shell lies one of the toughest players in Green and White.
- By Sports Information Student Assistant Sara Gutowski.
