Photo by Jason Frakes/Senior Aaron Stocksdale is in his third season as DeSales’ starting goalkeeper.
Aaron Stocksdale is a big reason DeSales High School has been among the top boys soccer programs in the Sixth Region over the past few years.
Stocksdale earned all-district honors as a junior and has posted seven shutouts this season as the Colts have compiled an 8-7-2 record.
Stocksdale helped DeSales win 22nd District titles and finish as the Sixth Region runner-up as a freshman and a sophomore. Last year the Colts went 5-11 and failed to reach the regional tournament.
“He’s been an anchor for us for three years now,” DeSales coach Aaron Gottbrath said. “Even when we’ve struggled, there hasn’t been much blame to go around on his end.”
Q: You mostly played defender before you got to DeSales High School. How did you become a goalkeeper?
A: They needed one when I was a freshman, and I had played it once before in sixth grade. I just stuck with it ever since.
Q: What do you think makes you a good goalkeeper?
A: My club coach pointed out to me that I make big-time saves. Whenever we’re in a close game or it’s a really good shot, I’m always there to make the save. That’s what I bring to the table, just that consistency to keep us in a game.
Q: At 6 feet tall, you’re average height for a goalkeeper. Is it a disadvantage not being taller and not having a larger wingspan?
A: I’d enjoy being 6-3 or something like that, but I have pretty quick reactions. That helps cover up the length I don’t have.
Q: What’s your favorite memory as a DeSales soccer player?
A: My freshman year I played behind Casey Axman, and that was a great experience. We were in the Bulldog Cup at Male, and I got in the last 10 minutes and I think we were winning 2-0. It was the first time I had to make a big save to keep the shutout. For my freshman year, that was pretty big for me.
Q: You’re planning to play for DeSales’ club volleyball team later this year. Why did you decide to do that?
A: I played in grade school, and I really enjoyed it. We have Colt Fest, which is a field day, and I played it there. The wife of the volleyball coach saw me play and asked if I wanted to play. … They said they could fit it in with my club-soccer schedule, so I said I would play.
Q: District tournament play begins next week. How far do you think DeSales can go?
A: I definitely think we can win our district. But we’ve overlooked teams, and I think that’s kind of hurt us. We can compete, and I think we can get to the regional final.
Q: You are drawing interest from NCAA Division III programs such as Hanover and Bluffton. What are your college plans?
A: I’m 100 percent sure I’m going to play in college. It’s just a matter of where. … I don’t know what I want to study, but I know I want to be on the business end of whatever I’m doing.
Q: Your father, Chuck, died in June of 2014. What do you do to honor his memory?
A: Pretty much since I was born he was in and out of the hospital with illnesses. He beat cancer twice, but he ended up having a stroke that he eventually died from. … A lot of people in my family have battled cancer, so in October I wear a pink (goalkeeper) jersey. My godmother passed away from breast cancer.
AARON STOCKSDALE UP CLOSE
School: DeSales.
Year: Senior.
Sport: Soccer.
Student-athlete: Stocksdale ranks among the top five students in the senior class at DeSales and said he enjoys studying Spanish. He’s the president of the National Honor Society and Beta Club.
Family: Stocksdale is the youngest of five children of Chuck and Sheila Stocksdale. He has three older sisters – Carrie, Felicia and Catherine – and an older brother, Graham. The sisters attended Mercy Academy, and Graham graduated from DeSales last year.
DeSales coach Aaron Gottbrath says: After nine years of coaching, Aaron is the most complete student-athlete I’ve ever worked with. He has a professional demeanor. He’s a leader. He works very hard in the off-season. I have three freshman goalkeepers this year, and he mentors them daily. … What makes him special on the field is that he’s so agile. He’s not physically imposing, but about three times a game he does something that makes you go, “Whoa! We should be down 1-0 now, and we’re not.” He gives us second chances.