Thursday, March 28, 2024

Robinson earns spot as goalkeeper, keeps sights on Big Ten title

September 13, 2001
Senior backup goalkeeper Tyler Robinson dives for a save during a practice Wednesday afternoon. Robinson had originally wanted to play lacrosses at MSU, but continues to play soccer —

If there’s one thing senior goalkeeper Tyler Robinson has experience in, it’s hard work.

But much of that hard work and experience was in a different sport.

Robinson had offers to play lacrosse at Ohio State, Ohio-Wesleyan and Denison universities.

MSU even offered him a lacrosse scholarship until officials cut the program and replaced it with women’s crew to comply with the NCAA’s gender equity policy, Title IX.

So Robinson ended up on a team in his second favorite pastime - MSU’s men’s soccer.

“Soccer wasn’t even my favorite sport,” Robinson said. “It was a tough decision, but this was a perfect opportunity for me to be able play Division-I, Big Ten soccer at a school that I’ve always wanted to go to.”

But once he came here, he took a backseat to the in-house star.

Playing behind former first-team All-Big Ten goalkeeper T.J. Lieckfelt, Robinson saw little action his first two years, head coach Joe Baum said.

“He didn’t get much playing time, but he came to practice every night and worked and worked,” Baum said. “He lived in the weight room.”

Now he is splitting the goaltending duties with goalkeeper Mike Robinson, Baum said. Tyler began the regular season by shutting down Wisconsin-Green Bay’s attack en route to a 6-1 victory, Sept. 1.

“It took tremendous character and perseverance,” he said.

“I’m so happy for him.”

Some of that athletic character may stem from his family background and hometown.

His father, Jim Robinson, played for the Spartans’ lacrosse team in the 1960s.

And while attending MSU, the elder Robinson met Tyler’s mother, another MSU graduate.

And Robinson isn’t the only Waverly High School graduate who’s making a name in athletics.

He joins fellow Waverly High School alumni such as Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, University of Iowa basketball player Cortney Scott, Carolina Panthers wideout Mushin Muhammed and MSU sophomore point guard Marcus Taylor.

“To be lumped with those people from my school is an honor,” he said.

But when it comes down to it, Robinson said it’s not hard to be motivated and focused on the team and its goals - no matter where you come from.

“The status of being a Division-I athlete for a Big Ten university is motivation enough,” he said.

“You’re at the highest level of NCAA competition.”

The team’s goals are to be high in the conference standings and make a trip to the NCAA tournament.

It all seems possible this season, Robinson said, because the team is so close.

“We go out together, and we eat together and once you have that unity, which we do this year, I think we have a chance of going really far,” Robinson said.

“If anything, we’re better this year.”

But Robinson has his sights set on one simpler goal - beating Indiana.

“Every year we play good enough to beat them but end up choking,” he said.

If anyone can stop that from happening again, it would be the goalkeepers, freshman defenseman Kellen Kalso said.

“They see everything on the field,” Kalso said.

“It’s important that we have good goalkeepers.”

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