Confidence, Change in Culture Key Proctor's Success

By Meredith Rieder, Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C.—With spring in bloom and preseason camp just five months away, EJ Proctor still wasn't sure where she was going to spend her next four years. A late decision, a roller coaster first season and a rebuilt team culture later, the Duke women's soccer sophomore goalkeeper has the Blue Devils rolling into the College Cup.

Proctor and the Blue Devils, fresh off of upsetting No. 1 seed Stanford, will take their burgeoning confidence to WakeMed Soccer Park to battle ACC foe and the tournament's No. 1 overall seed Florida State in the NCAA semifinals Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Fans nationwide can catch the action on ESPNU.

Duke's starting goalkeeper in her second season; Proctor originally committed to play soccer at Clemson, but upon reflection, didn't feel like it was the place for her midway through her senior year. A desire to be closer to home – she hails from Wilson, N.C., 80 miles east of Durham – a chance to succeed at a prestigious academic institution and strong connections to then-freshman defender Christina Gibbons and recent signee Morgan Reid, Proctor landed with the Blue Devils in late March.

She was the final addition to the second-ranked recruiting class Church announced in February, which included club teammate Reid. While a nerve-wracking time, Proctor knows she made the right choice to become a Blue Devil.

“I wanted to be close to home and I had known about Abby [Pyne] growing up,” said Proctor. “She was one of the best goalkeepers of her age and I knew she was going to have to redshirt all of our freshman year so I knew Duke was probably going to need a goalkeeper. So, honestly, I just got lucky with the timing. But Duke and being here is better than anything I had ever envisioned. I never thought some of those things could actually happen. It's a pretty cool feeling.”

Life on the soccer field wasn't always so great for Proctor and the Blue Devils. The 2014 campaign had its challenges as Duke struggled to an 8-9-1 record, lost four of its final six games and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. Proctor played in 12 games with one start as a rookie, but readily admits she wasn't playing at the level or with the confidence she knew she was capable.

Duke, as a team, stepped back and took the spring to work on improving its culture. Despite having the talent to succeed, something was missing for the Blue Devils in 2014 and they were committed to making changes. Everyone was on board and that shift in attitude proved to be a difference-maker for Proctor.

“We changed the team culture so much and became really close and decided that that's what's going to have to be most important despite how much talent we have,” Proctor said. “I think really being comfortable with them added to my confidence and belief in myself this year.”

Individually, Proctor was the beneficiary of excellent goalkeeping coaches. She returned home to train with longtime coach Tracy Noonan, a three-time NCAA Champion at North Carolina, during the summer and captured that confidence and edge she knew she needed. Then came the addition of Duke goalkeeper coach Brandon Gwin to the staff and Proctor only grew from there.

“I have such a good relationship with him and he's definitely improved my game a lot,” Proctor said about working with Gwin. “I really enjoy and look forward to training with him every day, which makes a big difference, especially when Abby can't practice. It makes it easier to put the extra effort in.”

The change didn't go unnoticed by her Blue Devil teammates and has put the minds of her teammates, especially those of the backline, at ease.

“I've definitely seen a boost in confidence, and for her that's huge because when she's confident her abilities only show that much more,” said Gibbons. “[Having EJ back there] takes a lot of pressure off of you and you aren't thinking as much about how you're going to mess up, but instead what you're going to do well and that change in mentality completely changes how you play.”

Armed with a new-found confidence, a stellar group of defenders in front of her, it's no surprise Proctor and the Blue Devils are one of the tougher teams to score on in the country. Duke has allowed just 15 goals in 23 games this season, including just two in its run to the NCAA College Cup, compared to the 23 the Blue Devils let in in 18 games a year ago.

Proctor's confidence never shined brighter than it did under the lights at Stanford's Laird Q. Cagan Stadium as she prepared for the heart-wrenching penalty-kick shootout.

“[Watching her during the shootout] was awesome,” Gibbons said. “I was just sitting there looking at the rest of our teammates saying 'EJ's got this one, EJ's got this one.'

And she did. Proctor stopped the first and forced the second shooter to miss the frame, leaving Duke with a 1-0 lead after two rounds.

The Cardinal made two straight to even the score, but for Duke the season's successes were never about leaning on one person. Casey Martinez, with the support and belief of all of her teammates, put the Blue Devils ahead and Proctor provided the final touch, diving to her left for the save that guaranteed them one more week together.

“I think EJ is a great example of [the positive effects] of our new team culture,” Gibbons said. “Everyone believes in each other. We have each other's back no matter what. Even if you mess up on the field you know your teammates are going to cover you. I think knowing that and having that chemistry has helped our whole team.”

Now this weekend, thousands of Duke fans will have Proctor and the entire Blue Devil squad's backs as they look to bring home the school's first NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.

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