Athlete of the Week

You won't find this week's standout athlete on any official Yale roster. David Pozen, TC '02, joined the men's soccer team on Mon., Oct. 29 as a replacement goalie for the injured Russ Stroud, TD '04. Stroud was the second keeper to suffer a serious injury this season. Pozen heard about Stroud's injury a day after it occurred during a chance encounter with Assistant Coach Hiro Suzuki.

When he heard the news, Pozen saw an opportunity. "I e-mailed Coach Tompkins that night to say that I'd be willing to help out if he'd like, and on Monday afternoon I was practicing with the team," he said. "On Wednesday, I was playing against St. John's."

CLAIRE CONLEY/YH Men's soccer Hometown: Newton, Mass. Major: Economics Favorite movie: Lawrence of Arabia Favorite New Haven restaurant: Clarkıs Favorite book: Don Quixote Favorite dining hall item: M & M cookies

Since stepping up, Pozen's play has been solid, as he recorded nine saves in three games. "After the St. John's game, I got back into the flow of things much more and started to feel more confident on the field," he said.

Pozen, in fact, could be considered something of an expert at comebacks. After deciding to leave the team following his freshman season, he briefly rejoined the squad for two games as a backup during his sophomore year while the starting keeper was out with an injury.

Although he keeps returning to the sport, Pozen claims that he has "never second-guessed" his original decision to leave the team. He explained, "There were so many other things I wanted to try at Yale, and I didn't think I could try them all while still playing soccer."

In fact, Pozen has been quite busy for the past three years. Last year he was president of the Yale Entreprenurial Society. Currently, he is applying to graduate school and hopes to pursue a degree in social policy.

These activities never stopped Pozen from dreaming about getting back on the field. "It's funny, but just a few weeks before I rejoined the team, I was watching the Tulsa game with some friends in the stands, and I started to fantasize about playing again," he said. "I had no clue I would actually be playing on that field later in the season."

Although Pozen's transition from specator to teammate appeared seamless, it hasn't been easy. "Last week was somewhat of a whirlwind," he said. "I didn't get to go to a single class. I've totally rearranged my life for these few weeks." While his play has been sharp, Pozen has experienced some physical challenges. "I had forgotten how punishing goalkeeping can be on your body, with all the diving. I've never been as sore as I was last week; I was eating Advils like candy, but I could hardly sleep I was so sore."

These various difficulties, however, mean very little to Pozen in comparison to the many benefits of his return. "I feel like I've gotten back in touch with a former self," Pozen said. "The circularity of it all is amazing, having entered Yale as a goalkeeper and now leaving Yale as a goalkeeper again. I had missed being on a team, being a goalkeeper. And I'd missed the smell of New England fall soccer."

—Kathleen McKeegan

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