Holland Christian goalie Daniel Morgan is Holland Sentinel Soccer Player of the Year – HollandSentinel.com

HOLLAND – Daniel Morgan provided the last line of defense for the Holland Christian state championship soccer team.
While it was difficult to even get shots on goal through the Maroons defense, it was even more difficult to get them past Morgan, one of the top goalies in state history.
How difficult?
Morgan allowed just seven goals this season for an absolutely stunning 0.31 goals against average.
That ability to stop nearly everything made him the Division 3 Defensive Player of the Year in the state and The Holland Sentinel Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
“I am proud that I got to play in a lot of big games and grow as a person through the sport,” Morgan said. “It was fun because I could tell other teams game planned to stop me with my distribution. That was really fun, the challenge. But it was mainly about helping my team win.”
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Morgan was a rare three-time all-state performer as a goalie, going from honorable mention as a sophomore to first team all-state as a senior.
“Having a lot of experience playing club helped me step in right away and perform as a sophomore. Losing (districts) to Holland made me want to work that much harder for junior year. Then losing to (eventual state champion) South Christian made me want to work even harder for senior year.”
Morgan posted 16 shutouts this season, the 17th most in state history. His 34 career shutouts are 13th-most in the history of Michigan.
Morgan’s career goals against average was 0.49, meaning he allowed fewer than a half a goal per game, or fewer than one goal per two games. However you want to describe it, it’s remarkable.
“Daniel had another fantastic season in goal for us,” Holland Christian coach Dave DeBoer said. “His physical development along with his technical skills took another step forward and made him a top goal keeper in the state.”
That was on display for the state to see during the Maroons’ run to the state title.
In the Division 3 state championship game, Morgan and the Maroons shut out Grosse Ile 2-0. In the semifinals, the Maroons beat Elk Rapids 4-1.
In regional play, Morgan shut out Paw Paw and allowed one goal to No. 1 Grand Rapids Catholic Central. In district play, the Maroons shut out Allegan and Fennville.
So in the entire postseason, Morgan allowed two goals in six games.
More:How Holland Christian roared to soccer state title
“My shot-stopping and athleticism were my biggest strengths,” he said. “And being a leader people could lean on.”
One aspect that was often overlooked in Morgan’s game was his punting ability. He wasn’t allowing many goals, but he also boosted the Holland Christian offense with punts that regularly got past midfield.
“When I was super young and wasn’t even sure what position I would be playing there, my mom wanted me on the field with good footskills. Having to use your feet is so vital for keepers,” Morgan said.
It culminated with a state championship, capping Morgan’s career as one of the best goalies in state history.
“It was an unreal experience for me after four hard years and finally getting to the end goal,” Morgan said. “We thought we could get there every single year, and we finally did it.”
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.   

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