McMullen seizes opportunity in net

Junior goalkeeper Kevin McMullen ended the Rutgers men’s soccer team’s regular season on a high note, earning Big East Player of the Week recognition. But the Blackwood, N.J., native was not always familiar with success.

Following a preseason groin injury, McMullen found himself sitting on the bench for the first game behind classmate Adam Klink.

McMullen earned his first appearance in the Scarlet Knights’ second game against Furman, when Klink went down with a concussion.

“Kevin stepped in and actually did a great job,” said head coach Dan Donigan. “He was in there for a very key win against College of Charleston at their place. He helped us to a 2-1 win early in the season and he never looked back from there.”

Following the victory, McMullen began the process of adjusting to his role as starting netminder during the first half of the Knights’ schedule. As the season progressed, the team’s confidence in him rose.

“He has made some big-time saves and some game-winning saves, which is exactly what you want from your keeper,” Donigan said. “He was able to secure the confidence of the coaching staff, which is what you want your keeper to do. He has had a great year for us.”

But one thing eluded McMullen not only throughout the first half of the season, but his entire collegiate career. McMullen never posted a shutout, and for the first 11 games he started, it appeared his efforts would once again not materialize.

Everything changed Oct. 15 against DePaul, when McMullen finally posted his first clean sheet as Rutgers keeper, ending the game with two saves.

“I finally feel comfortable back there and able to prove myself out on the field. After being in the net for a while I gained some confidence,” McMullen said. “When I got my first shutout, it was a very rewarding feeling. It definitely was a long time overdue, but it was one of the biggest landmarks in my career so far.”

Once the first shutout occurred, it was only a matter of time before others followed. In the Knights’ final two games of the year, McMullen and the defense held two nationally-ranked opponents scoreless in consecutive games. The performance earned McMullen Big East acclaim.

In a 1-0 win against then-No.11 St. John’s, McMullen made a career-high 10 saves to keep the Red Storm off the board.

“I just happened to have a good game. I was feeling good that night — like I was in the zone,” McMullen said. “I owed it to my team because they are able to shut teams down and block shots that I may not be able to make. They definitely make me look so good sometimes because they don’t allow teams to score just as much as I do.”

With their regular season over and a 3-1 loss outing them from the Big East Tournament, the Knights now look forward to Monday’s NCAA Tournament bid announcements.

Donigan is sure if Rutgers gains a bid that McMullen will show up for the team between the posts.

“We obviously had a little slip-up in the Big East Tournament against UConn. We anticipate him bouncing back along with the rest of the team,” Donigan said. “If we are fortunate enough to get an NCAA bid, he will be ready to go again and perform at a very high level, which he has been doing all season long.”