When the pressure is on, William Shober is at his best. Those are the moments he lives for — the ones where the game is in the balance and he’s largely in control of the final result, with the power to be either the hero or the scapegoat. Many players try to avoid scenarios like that or wither under the scrutiny when they arrive. Shober thrives under the pressure. “I know that a lot of people rely on me,” Shober said. “I have to play at my best all the time and it’s a lot of responsibility. I really like it. I really like having so much pressure. I love it.”
As the starting goaltender for the Fond du Lac boys hockey team, Shober is in a position where his play largely affects the outcome of the game. In hockey, goalie is probably the most important single position on the ice, and it may just be the most vital in all of sports — right along with its counterpart in soccer. If a goalie has a poor game, there’s a pretty good chance it will result in a loss. On the other hand, an outstanding goalie can keep even the most offensively-challenged teams competitive. With that much influence, it requires a certain kind of personality to manage the burden that comes with it. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Shober has the right mindset. He’s quiet, focused and is able to tune out the distractions. “I think he has a good mentality,” Fond du Lac coach Ryan Sarazin said. “Goaltender is a unique position. Yes, you’re part of a team, but you’re on an island by yourself. We really work on the mental aspect of the game with him, and I think he’s done a good job challenging himself to small goals throughout the game. Sometimes when the team’s not playing up to par, he has to be the best player on the ice, and I think he’s been able to do that mentally.” Getting started in hockey when he was seven years old, Shober wasn’t initially a goalie but soon found his calling in net. He’s been able to hone his craft on varsity since his freshman season, when he started a handful of games in net as Fond du Lac advanced to the WIAA state tournament.
It was during his sophomore season in 2013-14 that Shober took over full-time in goal, and he’s only improved since then. Posting a 3.07 goals-against average and .875 save percentage in his first full year as a starter, it was obvious the Cardinals were good in hands for the next couple years. As a junior, Shober earned second team all-Badgerland Conference honors after recording a 3.21 GAA and .893 save percentage. This season, Shober has been even better — sporting a 2.62 GAA and .901 save percentage en route to a spot on the all-Badgerland Conference first team. Fond du Lac is 11-11-1, finished fourth in the conference during the regular season, was runner-up in the Badgerland tournament and is a No. 3 seed in the WIAA playoffs. “We’ve challenged him every year. (He’s) in the high 80s (save percentage). Let’s go to 90,” Sarazin said. “He’s taken those challenges. He’s extremely athletic. The game within the game. He’s been good mentally, and I think those small goals have helped. This is his best year yet.” Shober added that he believes he’s been able to avoid ‘off games’ more than ever this year, certainly something that comes with experience. “Definitely consistency — being able to play at my top level for every game,” Shober said. “Before and during sophomore year, I had more ‘off games’, but now I’m more consistent in having good games all the time.” With exceptional quickness and flexibility, Shober has the physical skills to pair with his knack for stepping up in pressure-filled situations. But he also pointed to another mental aspect of the position that’s been so crucial for him — a short memory.
Even the best goalies get scored on. No one can stop everything. Responding after allowing a goal, and not letting it impact his confidence, is just as important as any other asset Shober has. “You just can’t get down on yourself when you get scored on,” he said. “You have to forget about that right away or else you’re down on yourself the rest of the game.” At this point, Shober is unsure if he’ll continue his puck career either in college or at the junior hockey level, but would be open to it if the right opportunity arises. With the WIAA playoffs right around the corner, he’s focused on helping his Cardinals make a deep postseason run and ending his high school career strong.
His coach knows how important he is to the team moving forward. “Just like other positions in sports that are key, you can’t win without one (a goalie),” Sarazin said. “For us in the playoffs and everything else, coaches at the next level have asked me ‘How many games has your goaltender won by himself?’ I can say that he’s kept us in games or won games entirely by himself this year. Nothing against our team, but sometimes we weren’t scoring and it’s a lot of pressure on him. But that’s part of the position and he’s handled it well.”
In the playoffs, Shober’s performance could, more than ever, determine whether Fond du Lac reaches its ultimate goal of another state appearance. That’s how he wants it. “It’s exciting. I like that all my teammates count on me,” he said. “I have to do my job. It’s what I really like about the sport.”
