Fans back home have always had belief in Naeher

TRUMBULL — Nate Katz and Hope Krekoska were in the Christian Heritage School gymnasium last Tuesday when the place fell silent during the 84th minute of theWorld Cup semifinal.

USA’s Becky Sauerbrunn had clipped the leg of EllenWhite as the Englishwoman attempted a shot in the penalty area and now the play was under video review. Alyssa Naeher’s biggest fans, 150 of them on that day, awaited the call. The most nervewracking thing possible would follow.

England was awarded a penalty kick. Steph Houghton lined up for her golden opportunity to tie the game and ruin the Americans’ domination of the 2019World

Cup.

“It was very hush, very quiet in here,” said Katz, the school’s assistant athletic director and boys soccer coach. “Everyone’s thinking this could be Alyssa’s moment or, OK, let’s just hold our breath here.”

There’s a banner hanging in this gym with the names of Alyssa and Amanda Naeher. It’s not for soccer. The twins both scored 2,000 points in basketball and won a New England championship in 2006.

“Beast athletes,” said John Egan, the school’s athletic director and girls soccer coach.

The world would learn how athletic. Houghton had an idea. She’d rip the ball into the lower left corner of the net. Alyssa Naeher had another idea. She dove right and made a spectacular save that also saved the American dream. The dream would become reality Sunday in Lyon, France as the USWNT defeat Netherlands, 20, to capture backtobackWorld Cups.

“There was this huge sigh of relief at the moment she made that save,” Katz said. “And then there was this huge cheer.”

“It was so quiet,” said Krekoska, a rising senior who plays on the Christian Heritage soccer team. “And then everyone went crazy. We were so proud of her.”

So what did Naeher do when her teammates jubilantly surrounded her? She calmly shooed them away to make sure play continued with no infraction called. Some people were put on this earth to grab all the attention, all the headlines. Others are put on earth to get the job done with as little fanfare as possible.

That would be Alyssa Naeher, Christian Heritage class of 2006, who’d go on to Penn State and Sunday help conquer the world.

“It’s really cool to meet her when she visits,” said Natania Muriel, who also plays on the Christian Heritage soccer team. “She’s famous, but we know her family. She’s really humble. She doesn’t make a big deal of anything. She just plays her game. She doesn’t act all full of it. That’s really nice to see.”

There were a lot of doubters heading into the World Cup. Even Brianna Scurry, who started 159 USWNT games in goal and won the 1999World Cup, said Naeher had the tools yet lacked the confidence and that the shadow of Hope Solo hung over her.

Yes, the U.S. once had Hope.

A lot of folks should have had more faith.

“This is thrilling, you can’t even put it into words,” said Robin Hannibal, who has taught at Christian Heritage since 1986, first as a music teacher then a counselor.

“There was a lot of commentary before theWorld Cup that USA’s one weakness is at goalkeeper,” Jason Coles said. “She hadn’t been able to show otherwise, through no fault of her own. Solo was there until three years ago. That England game blew things wide open for Alyssa.”

Coles grew up at Christian Heritage, a Kto12 school. Alyssa’a dad, John, was his physical education teacher. Coles would later become the twins’ P.E. teacher.

“Young Alyssa was constantly in this gym with her sister,” Coles said. “They would get out every piece of equipment. Not just soccer, they’d be out here playing lacrosse, hockey, constantly building their skills. They blossomed.

“Not only dealing with media and the spotlight, she always has been kind of specific to her group and very focused and driven. I think that’s part of what has allowed her to get to where she is. She’s not distracted by a lot of other things. She’s not looking for the spotlight.”

Coles lives in Charlotte, N.C. His wife teaches at Charlotte Heritage. Amanda Naeher does, too, where she coaches soccer and basketball. Coles is from Shelton and the family was returning for a Fourth of July visit. Plans to watch Tuesday were quashed when they got caught in traffic on the Merritt Parkway. Amanda went to France with her family, clearly a quicker trip than the Merritt during rush hour.

The twins, Coles said, started playing varsity basketball in the seventh grade. John Naeher was their coach.

“Alyssa won a varsity game on a buzzerbeater from behind half court when she was in the eighth grade,” Coles said. “They were ridiculous. You watch them then and you said the sky is the limit.”

Coles looked up at the big screen and theWorld Cup.

“The sky has been reached.”

Christian Heritage has had a number of men’s and women’sWorld Cup viewing parties. It’s a way for the soccer players to witness games together on the big screen. Yet this day, as evidenced by the more than 200 people who poured into the gym was different. And very special.

“Parents who went to school here, or taught here, or kids who had Alyssa as their babysitter, it’s very cool,” said Katz, a freshman when Naeher was a senior. “Even for people who don’t know her personally they certainly know who she is.”

John Naeher, who is still with the school administration, has been at Christian Heritage for nearly four decades. Hannibal has known him nearly all that time.

“His entire career has been this community and it’s a tightknit community,” she said. “They are a loved family. I’ve known the twins since they were born, always together, first as toddlers and then as little gym rats. It was really sweet.

“This is a lifetime knowing somebody, watching her grow up, work so hard every step of the way. Not only work hard, but Alyssa’s character I’m so glad has started to shine through for everyone to see. There was a lot of garbage talk about her (having to prove herself in her first World Cup as a starter). She never had to open her mouth. She never had to say anything. She just waited. That’s who she is. She is an incredibly humble girl. She’s also someone who everyone enjoys being around.”

Hannibal was a bundle of nerves on this day. She watched at home Tuesday, pacing the family room floor when the penalty shot was called. On Sunday, Naeher wasn’t tested nearly as much as Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal, who won the Golden Glove as the tournament’s top goaltender. Yet there were some tense moments especially near the close of the first half with the game scoreless.

Then Megan Rapinoe scored on a penalty kick in the 61st minute. Rose Lavelle followed with a leftfooted laser eight minutes later. The gym erupted on each goal. And when the game ended in glory, Alyssa Naeher’s greatest fans stood, cheered like crazy and threw theirs arms in the air. She had allowed only three goals in the tournament. Her teammates had scored 26.

“It’s so exciting to see her on that big stage in the World Cup,” Hope Krekoska said. “And to see everyone here in our community supporting her is great. I feel like she already knew she was good enough and didn’t need to prove anything. Her teammates supported her and knew what she was capable of doing.”

Ten minutes after it was over, Robin Hannibal still couldn’t take her eyes off the screen. She was watching a Nike commercial. There was Alyssa Naeher. There were the words “believe.”

“That’s it right there: believe,” she said. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

jeff.jacobs @hearstmediact.com; @jeffjacobs123