Athlete of the Week: Alexis Boudreau, John Stark Regional High School

In terms of being at the top of the game in the Granite State, few soccer goalkeepers are as sharp between the sticks as Alexis Boudreau.

The recent graduate of John Stark Regional High School was a three-time first-team All-State goalkeeper in Division II and an All-Region goalkeeper, and she was selected to tend the net for New Hampshire at the recent Twin State Lions Cup.

Boudreau posted 11 shutouts in 16 games, made 96 saves and allowed just 12 goals in those 16 games during her senior season to lead John Stark to the No. 3 seed in the NHIAA Division II tournament. On top of soccer, she excelled as an honors student and dedicated her spare time to community service, including leading a two-day goalkeeping clinic for her senior project.

She has left large gloves to fill in the net for the Generals, as she will move on to play for the University of New England Nor’easters. For this week’s feature, Boudreau went into detail about her journey as a goalie and reflected on her memories in the net.

Q: What has motivated you to become a better athlete?

A: Everything about the game of soccer motivates me, but most importantly, my teammates who I’ve played with for one year or 14 years, who have motivated me to become the best athlete that I can be. By sharing inspirational words throughout matches, fist bumps after big saves and just being amazing teammates, they have been my motivation to be the goalkeeper I am today.

Q: Who are your mentors, and how have they helped you?

A: I have had so many mentors throughout my 12-plus years of soccer. I would like to highlight my high school and club coaches: Coach Edmond Marceau, Coach Dana Pellerin, Coach Mike Zahn and Coach Andy Palhof. They have been great mentors for me and have made me push myself, made my skills improve and have taught me to love the game of soccer as a whole.

Q: What’s your favorite part about being a John Stark General?

A: My favorite part of being a John Stark General is the regard, respect and integrity that you receive from your peers, teachers, coaches and teammates. The love they have for each other within the John Stark building is like no other. People have your back, support you, care for you, encourage you, and most importantly, will be there every step of the way throughout your high school journey. Personally, I would not have wanted to experience this with another community and support system other than John Stark.

Q: What’s the best advice you ever received, and who gave it to you?

A: The best advice I have gotten was from my parents, Melissa and Jamie. They once said to me, “What you put into what you love, you will get in return.” This quote is something that I remind myself every day, and it is so important that you work for what you want in return.

In the soccer aspect, I feel as though I did just that. I was able to go from being one of four goalkeepers who got no play time freshman year to being a three-time All-State goalkeeper and the All-Region goalkeeper my senior year. This is something that I hold so close to my heart, and I am grateful my parents said those words to me and reminded me of what I am truly capable of.

Q: What’s the most difficult aspect of being a goalkeeper?

A: The most difficult aspect of being a goalkeeper is the mental toll it may have for you personally. You sometimes feel as though if a goal goes in, it is your fault. A thought like this made me sometimes question my skills and the certain approach I took during that moment that could have impacted that play in the game. However, I always reminded myself that I train and push myself every practice and game, and that you can always learn from mistakes or plays that you have made. Overall, you win as a team and lose as a team, and you reflect on either outcome. But the mental toll that being a goalkeeper could have on you is what I would say is the most difficult aspect of playing this position.

Q: What’s your favorite part of goalkeeping?

A: Gosh, there are so many favorite parts of being a goalkeeper, it’s extremely hard to list them all. But the one that stands out to me the most would probably be the adrenaline that it gives. It makes me feel like I am unstoppable and that I can accomplish anything that I attempt to conquer, especially in big games like Bow, Oyster River and Pembroke, for example.

Being able to overcome some unsure moments in a game comes along with the adrenaline, meaning that I am able to get over fears that may occur inside my 18-yard box. This is one of my favorite parts because I am able to show myself what I truly am capable of and that anything you work hard toward, you will get in return.

Q: What was the highlight of the soccer season for you?

A: My senior season was one that I will never forget. It was filled with joy, laughter, frustration, tears, but most importantly … “we made mems (memories)” — Eddie Marceau. A moment in my senior season, specifically, that I would like to highlight is when we played under the lights at New England College as a home game, playing the Bow Falcons, our rivals. The bleachers and entire fence were lined with people from both teams, which gave the atmosphere an unreal feeling.

Q: What do you think it takes to be a good goalkeeper?

A: Being able to take criticism and failure will always make you a better soccer player, but even more so as a goalkeeper — not so much from coaches and teammates but from yourself. Being a goalkeeper, there needs to be a sense of acceptance that everything isn’t going to come the first time.

There were many times in my goalkeeping experience when I was frustrated and didn’t want to do a drill anymore, but deep down I had determination and knew that hard work was going to help me succeed. There is failure that comes with the learning process, and being able to learn from it and grow from the failures will make you a very successful goalkeeper.

Q: When did you start playing soccer?

A: I started touching a soccer ball about 14 years ago. The thought of me picking up a pair of goalkeeper gloves struck around fourth grade, where I tried it for the very first time on my WAC soccer team (Weare Athletic Club). After that, I never wanted to play anywhere else, and there was an instant connection and love for this sport and position.

After I aged out of WAC, I played for JSU (John Stark United soccer club). Coach Pellerin was my coach from the start to the very end, where I aged out right before high school. We won multiple championships across the state throughout all my years playing for JSU. Overall, I made lifelong friends through this amazing sport and club that I was so lucky to continue to play with at the high school level.

Q: Who was the toughest opponent you faced and why?

A: This one is easy: the Bow Falcons. Every year Bow gives us a run for our money and it is always a good game, no matter what field you are at. There is always a fierce competitive side that came out of both teams that was seen like no other compared to other games we both played for the season.

All four of my years, I was the most excited and frankly nervous for playing Bow because of how talented they are every year, but we always give our best fight and they definitely do, too. When Bow was in our schedule to face off against, there was fire in everyone’s eyes on the team, including the coaches, too. The grit, hardihood and intensity we put during training were like no other.

On the flip side, the Bow Falcons have an amazing coach that is very successful, intelligent and strategic with his team, Mr. Jay Vogt. This was definitely a reason why Bow was a very high competitor on our list of games for the season. This is why I would say they are our toughest opponent we face in Division II.