A plethora of opportunities presented itself to Rasih Pala when it was time to make the choice that can drive teenagers to a point of insanity: what college should I attend?

An NIU senior soccer goalie, Pala was calm when describing his decision, picking NIU because he liked the coaches and the school.

Born in Markham, Ontario, Pala began playing soccer at the age of two. But doesn’t every boy in Canada grow up to eat, sleep and breathe hockey? Well, not Pala.

“My parents immigrated from Turkey,” Pala explained.

Before Pala began his soccer career, he used to kick the ball around with his dad.

While Pala couldn’t get a scholarship in Canada, he decided to come to America.

“I came here strictly for soccer,” said Pala, who was in close contact with NIU head coach Willy Roy and assistant Karsten Roy.

One asset Pala brings to the team is his vocal presence. Pala always can be heard throughout the course of a game shouting directions at his teammates.

“I’ve always been that way, even with my club teams in Toronto,” Pala said. “I think it’s a trait I was born with. I like helping everyone on the field.”

Pala also was chosen as one of the team’s captains by the coaches last spring.

“He has good leadership ability on and off the field,” Karsten Roy said.

Pala also has taken over the job of helping the younger goalies with their game while concentrating on his own.

“He’s a good guy,” said reserve goalkeeper Joe Carrero. “He shows the younger guys what they need to do.”

The Huskies are losing only three players next year, so the experience level will be high.

“They’re learning as time goes on. It’s good to get fresh blood and the younger players will benefit, but we don’t want to look to the future or past,” Pala said. “We want to focus on now because [the seniors] want to go out as high as possible.”

Even though Pala is one of the team’s veterans, he still gets nervous for games.

“Some games are nerve-wracking,” Pala said. “You control the team as much as you can.”

One of the most nerve-wracking situations is when he sets up for a penalty shot.

“It’s a mental showdown,” Pala said. “You have to maintain good body posture, read their eyes and guess a direction. The pressure is on the shooter.”

While some goalies make their home only in the net, Pala doesn’t mind venturing onto the field. For the second time this year, Pala will try out his skills on the offensive side, playing center-midfielder on Friday versus Bowling Green State.

Taking over in goal will be freshman Steve Goletz. Goletz has logged time against the University of New Mexico, Bradley and recently against Northwestern.

“We’ll see how things go,” Roy said. “Rasih has good skills to play in the field.”

The Huskies are second to last in the MAC in goals allowed per game. However, not all of the blame can be put on the defense for NIU’s 2-6-0 record.

The Huskie offense has put 43 shots on goal compared to their opponent’s 66. NIU is last in the conference with six goals, but the Huskies’ wins come when they put more shots on goal than the opposition.

“You win with defense and must capitalize on offensive opportunities,” Pala said. “As a goalkeeper, you want to have the defense work 110 percent.”

One of Pala’s fondest memories in his three-plus years at NIU was when the Huskies made it to the MAC finals his freshman year.

“I live, breathe and eat soccer,” Pala said. “It’s great to be able to play soccer every day.”

As for the future, Pala is very sincere when saying he wants to “take it to the next level.”

Pala’s number one goal is to play in Europe. If that doesn’t work out he will try MLS.

Pala also is keeping an option open to play back home in Toronto in the A-league. The A-league contains 18 teams, four of them residing in Canada, and is often times used as a feeder league for the MLS.

“Toronto is a stepping stone,” Pala said. “It would help in achieving my ultimate goal.”