Fair 28° F

Home > Archive > Jul 19, 2007

Former Pine View Keeper Now Playing at BYU
By Stephen Vincent
When Quin Shepherd was a freshman in high school, he decided to tag along with a friend to the Pine View soccer tryouts.
While there, Shepherd tried out for every position, but it was the goalkeeper spot where he found a fit. Although he had played in a few recreation leagues growing up, Shepherd considers that freshman year to be his first season of competitive soccer.
A year later, Shepherd was the Panthers' starting keeper. And, today, Shepherd is one of the goalkeepers on the BYU men's soccer team.
The BYU men's soccer team is different from other college programs, as the Cougars are a semi-pro team in the Premier Development League, which is one of soccer's minor leagues.
The Cougars also have a working relationship with Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake. And, in a recent scrimmage against the RSL Reserves, Shepherd played the second half.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to play against a quality team,” Shepherd said. “It was nice to see how close some of our players are to playing at that level.”
Shepherd said he wouldn't be surprised to someday see one of his teammates in an RSL uniform, as several of the Cougars have signed 30-day contracts with Real.
Shepherd said RSL is like a big brother to BYU. And he's had the chance to get to know some of the RSL players, including starting goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Shepherd relishes the opportunity to be mentored by other goalkeepers, as it was a goalkeeper's influence that helped him succeed at Pine View. Essentially new to soccer when he joined Pine View's team as a ninth grader, Shepherd was mentored by then-Panther keeper Jace Croshaw.
Croshaw showed Shepherd what it takes to be a good high school goalkeeper. For Shepherd, Croshaw's tutelage paid off in the three years that Shepherd was between the pipes for Pine View.
Shepherd took to soccer quickly, saying he enjoys how quickly the ball can move through the field. And he also quickly found a passion for playing the pressure-packed goalkeeper position, where he is responsible for keeping the team's defense organized.
“I really like being in a position where I can take leadership,” Shepherd said.
One summer during his high school years, Shepherd attended the soccer camp at BYU. That's where he first caught the eye of Cougar coach Chris Watkins. The BYU coach invited Shepherd to try out for the team when he arrived in Provo.
Shepherd made the team as a freshman in 2004.
After his freshman year at BYU, Shepherd decided to serve a church mission. When he opened his call, the first word he saw was Manchester – and immediately, thoughts of serving in Manchester, England, home of Manchester United, the world's most famous soccer club, rushed through his mind.
And then he read a little closer and saw he was being called to Manchester, New Hampshire.
“I was a little taken aback when I saw New Hampshire there instead of England,” Shepherd said. “But I'm really glad I went there.”
Shepherd, who returned in January, said his mission affected his soccer – negatively and positively.
After the mission, Shepherd found his physical skills had waned. Shepherd lost 0.4 seconds off his 40 time, and 12 inches off his vertical leap. Shepherd said he felt like an old man on the soccer field the first few months after his mission.
“I'm just starting to get some of that back,” he said.
But he said the maturity he gained on his mission has helped his soccer.
“My freshman year if I wasn't playing well, I spiraled downward,” Shepherd said. “Now, I take it in stride, and I play more consistently because of that.”
With another year to recover from his mission and a couple of the goalkeepers ahead him graduating after this season, Shepherd hopes for increased playing time next season.
But for now, he's working on his soccer and his schoolwork.
Shepherd is deciding between majoring in pre-med or business at the Y, but he plans on attending medical school after he graduates.
Shepherd said he can easily work soccer in with school. The challenge, though, comes in trying to find a part-time job that accommodates school and the practice and travel schedule of soccer.
This year, Shepherd and the soccer team traveled to Chile, playing against Chilean pro teams and groups of Latter-day Saint kids.
It was just one of the many good experiences that Shepherd has had while playing for the Cougars.
“It's a fun sport,” he said. “I love being around the team here at BYU. I really just love being a part of it.”

---