Balliet’s move sparks success

The cliche “taking one for the team” is tossed around loosely in the wide world of sports. … The cliche “taking one for the team” is tossed around loosely in the wide world of sports.

Probably no one has epitomized that saying more than Pitt senior Kyle Balliet.

Balliet, a Fox Chapel native, is the captain and president of Pitt’s men’s lacrosse club team and is also the Panthers’ starting goalkeeper.

Balliet, who, until recently, has traditionally played attack in all of his nine years of experience, led the team in goals, assists and points his junior season. In his years at Pitt, he has been named to the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s first and second all-conference teams as well as the honorable mention list.

So why is Balliet sitting on all those accolades and accomplishments and still playing goalie this season?

“We didn’t have a goalie coming into this season,” head coach Robbie Heaps said. “Our goalie from the fall season had transferred, and quite frankly, we were having a hard time recruiting anybody. Kyle stepped up. He has made the ultimate sacrifice for our team.”

Balliet’s sacrifice has been a big reason why the Panthers have seen so much success this season. Pitt started the season 6-0, and is now 7-1, their only loss coming in overtime to Oakland, a team ranked in the nation’s top ten.

Through eight games this season, Balliet has allowed only 6.5 goals per game, getting plenty of help from a Panther offense that scores an average of 12.4 goals per contest.

“We wouldn’t be in the situation we are without him,” Heaps said. “It’s like in hockey, if you don’t have a goalie you’re done with. In lacrosse, your goalie is as good as your team, no question about it.”

Heaps realizes that moving a leading scorer to the crease to play goalie seems “insane,” but said Balliet’s outstanding athletic ability has made for a relatively seamless transition.

“Kyle’s a natural athlete who could play most any sport,” Heaps said. “I was quite shocked when he picked up the stick and actually had form. I didn’t even have to teach him. He has picked it up so quickly, being around lacrosse so long, that once he gets out there he lets his athleticism shine.”

Heaps isn’t the only one who has been shocked with Balliet’s performance in the net; the man himself is a bit awed.

“I expected to play well. I had practiced some last year just messing around, but I honestly didn’t expect to be playing quite as well as I have been,” Balliet said.

The most impressive thing about Balliet’s quick and successful position change is his lack of fear in the net. A lacrosse ball, a solid, white, 5.2-ounce sphere, can be shot at speeds in the 90 mile-per-hour range. The only protection Balliet and lacrosse goalies get is a helmet with a small throat guard, a thin chest protector and a two-and-half-foot stick with a 16 x 12-inch pocket attached.

Balliet shrugged off a question about fear, saying it was just “something he had to do.” Heaps has said that Balliet’s ability to stay in the net and not flinch or close his eyes is a testament to his toughness, mentally and physically.

Balliet, on the other hand, has said that the biggest test for him has been not being part of the offensive attack and having to sit back in the defensive zone.

“It’s been real frustrating at times,” Balliet said. “At practice and even sometimes in games, when our offense isn’t clicking, it’s hard to think about it. I just try and worry about playing goal and doing my job.”

Balliet showed that he still posses his offensive prowess late in a blowout against West Virginia on Sunday. After making a save, Balliet looked to advance the ball downfield, finding no one open, he left his crease and carried the whole way into the offensive zone, faking out several defenders on his way.

Balliet appeared to run out of gas and gave the ball to a teammate, much to the chagrin of the crowd, before heading back down to his net.

It seems as if Balliet’s offensive ability will have to remain bottled up, as the Panthers have four more regular-season games before they make a charge to the playoffs.

But talk about taking one for the team.