Pitt goalkeeper Hami Kara always wanted to play NCAA Division I soccer. And he thought that… Pitt goalkeeper Hami Kara always wanted to play NCAA Division I soccer. And he thought that being a good goalkeeper and working hard in practice was all that mattered to achieve that goal.

But his grades in high school left him ineligible to play at a Division I school. That taught him a lesson, and he went to Manchester Community College in Connecticut.

“I learned [at Manchester] that school is more important than soccer, so I put more time into school, and now I am doing very well,” Kara said. “It opened up many doors for me academically and athletically.”

At Manchester, he posted some eye-popping statistics. He had 16 shutouts in 20 games played, a 0.25 goals-against average and a grand total of four goals allowed all season.

A handful of programs — including Cincinnati, Hartford, Pitt, Rhode Island and Temple — wanted him. But in the end, the Panthers got him.

Kara saw Pitt soccer’s 2-13-2 record last year, a year with seven one-goal losses, and wanted to turn things around.

“I saw the season they had last year, and I thought that I could step in here and be a leader and help keep my team in games,” Kara said.

This fall, with an experienced defense in front of him, he’s done just that. Pitt disowned last year’s dreadful record and jumped out to a 6-5-2 start.

His coach at Manchester, Jim Insinga, had high praise for his former star.

“He was the team captain his sophomore year, and he was, in my opinion, the best captain in my 11 years at [Manchester], no question,” Insinga said. “It was a joy having him on the field.”

Kara opened this season with a five-save blanking of Robert Morris. After a 2-1 double-overtime victory over St. Bonaventure, the junior racked up two more shutouts against Army and St. Joseph’s. Last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Rutgers gave him his sixth shutout of the year and dropped his goals-against average to 1.05.

The defense helps

Kara credited the experienced back line of Andy Kalas, Connor Malone, Shane Flowers and Alex Harrison for his solid start.

“I am not earning these shutouts by myself but with the help of my team and especially the four guys who play in front of me,” Kara said. “They go all-out into every tackle, every header, every loose ball, which shows how determined they are to keep the other team from getting shots off on our goal. I am only averaging less than three saves a game, and that’s because our defense is completely shutting down our opponents and leaving less work for me.”

Kara said he wants to break the single-season Panther record of 10 shutouts. The number reflects solid defense as much as it does good goalkeeping, he said.

Seniors Kalas, Malone and Flowers and the freshman Harrison provide that defense, and Pitt coach Joe Luxbacher said the back line works together as a unit.

“They play well together,” Luxbacher said. “They’re a tough group, and they’re an experienced group.”

The only underclassman of the group, Harrison, is not a typical first-year defender. The native of the Isle of Man played overseas for St. Georges Association Football Club before crossing the Atlantic.

“He’s a first-year player, but he’s tough and experienced, and I consider him a leader back there,” Luxbacher said. “He’s not what you typically think of a freshman, coming in all wide-eyed.”

Kalas said that Harrison hasn’t had trouble getting in sync with the three Panther veterans.

“He’s a lot more mature than a true freshman,” Kalas said. “We all have to be on the same page, so we all help each other out. Alex is a great defender and a great player, so it was a smooth transition.”

The last line of defense, and the team’s eye

Still, the team couldn’t succeed without Kara. From the stands, you can hear the NJCAA First Team All-American during games as he directs the back line.

“As a goalkeeper, you are able to see the whole entire field and see exactly everything going on,” Kara said. “The rest of your team can’t, so you need to be able to direct your teammates to what is going on and what is coming their way so they know what to do.”

The back line appreciates Kara’s communication. Kalas said that Kara’s perspective of the field lets him see gaps in the defense and adjust it.

“It’s invaluable, having complete trust in him and knowing what he sees,” Kalas said. “Trusting what he says helps us organize the defense and makes sure we’re in the right spots at the right times and makes sure no one misses a guy running through. We’ve avoided a lot of the mistakes we’ve made last year just because he’s back there.”

Through the first nine games last year, the Panthers allowed 18 goals. This year, they halved that, and with Kara in goal, defenders feel more comfortable pushing the tempo.

“He gives us more leeway,” Kalas said. “We can be a little more aggressive, and if we don’t get there in time, he’s right there behind us to cover us.”

With his track record, Kara has already earned the trust of his teammates.

“We all trust Hami to make the big saves when we need him to,” Malone said. “We really are able to push the tempo and play more attacking soccer.”

Kara, though, didn’t have the starting job before the season began. Returning starter Keegan Gunderson was initially favored for the position, according to Luxbacher. But Gunderson suffered a concussion in August and remains out with concussion symptoms.

“Hami was probably even with [Gunderson] before he went down,” Luxbacher said. “He just took advantage of an opportunity.”

Kara pushed Gunderson for the starting job not just because of his skill on goal, but also because of his work ethic, Luxbacher said.

“He prepares himself to be the best he can be,” Luxbacher said. “I don’t think some of our other guys realize how important that is. Guys see what he’s doing and see how hard he works, and obviously the other guys know that if they don’t work that hard they’re going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

Kara’s drive goes back to his time at Manchester.

“He just absolutely excelled as far as training,” Insinga said. “I think that’s what got him to the top, his ability to just stay focused and train hard every day. That’s what got him to Pitt.”