Consistent. Competitive. Energetic.
Those are the three words that come to mind when Marquette women’s soccer head coach Markus Roeders thinks of his senior goalkeeper Maddy Henry.
Henry, one of the team’s two seniors, is in her fourth year as the team’s starting goalkeeper.
Her first season in blue and gold in 2016 resulted in the program’s fourth BIG EAST title. Since then, Roeders said he has seen a lot of growth in the Omaha, Nebraska native.
“Every year is a little different, as she’s seen different players in front of her, but Maddy has (what it takes),” Roeders said. “She really has grown into the role of being the starting goalkeeper.”
Throughout his 23 years at Marquette, Roeders said he considers himself lucky to have had such a great group of goalkeepers play for him. He considers Henry to be in that group of special goalkeepers.
“We have been very fortunate,” Roeders said. “She goes right to the line with some of the goalkeepers we have had. To have someone (like Henry) be the pillar back there for us is important.”
In the team’s double-overtime 1-0 loss to in-state rival then-No. 15 Wisconsin, Henry became the program’s first ever goalkeeper to collect 300 saves.
“Honestly, I am just excited to leave a legacy here in some way,” Henry said. “I did realize that the past three years haven’t been a cake walk at all. We have played some tough teams.”
If someone told the goalkeeper four years ago that she’d break former goalkeeper Mo Bothwell’s save record, who played from 1997-2000. Henry said she would not have believed it.
“I don’t put much stock into records or anything like that,” Henry said. “When I came here, all I wanted to do was … (my) best for the program and be the best goalkeeper I could be.”
The public relations and theology major said she did not pay attention to the news about her record, either.
“I didn’t know much about it,” Henry said. “Once it happened, I think my dad texted me or something, like an old club coach saying ‘Congratulations.’ When I texted them back, I was like ‘Wow, I didn’t know that.’”
The week after the Michigan win, the BIG EAST named Henry Goalkeeper of the Week for the first time since 2017 but her fourth time overall. During that week, Henry allowed 0.45 goals per game and saved 93.8% of shots on goal.
“It was really rewarding. I obviously give my defense all the credit in the world. They were unbelievable this past weekend,” Henry said. “I wish they could win all the awards in the world … (because) they deserve the credit.”
It’s been a tough road the last two years for Henry and the Golden Eagles, but the recent two-game win streak against Michigan and Minnesota has “lit the fire and stoked the flames” for a lot of the squad, Henry said.
Henry said she wants to make sure her Marquette career ends with a bang, and she will do everything in her power to make sure a repeat of last year does not happen. The team is coming off Roeders’ first losing season in his 23-year tenure at MU.
“After the (Michigan) win, (we were) like, ‘Wow, we forgot how big of a win like this really feels,’” Henry said. “We know now that what we have put in day in and day out in practice and games is achievable and is coming.”
