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When Vermont’s David Closterman wound up for a shot from the edge of the crease, Syracuse goalie Drake Porter stood tall and waited patiently. He always does, former SU goalie John Galloway said. Porter lifted his stick above his head to halt the Catamount rally. He pumped both fists and motioned toward the Syracuse bench, who erupted following the highlight save.

“Porter really helped our cause with the saves that he was making,” head coach John Desko said after the 17-13 win on March 6. “He was tested, and he rose to the occasion.”

Porter made 21 saves that day, a career-high and the most by a Syracuse goalie since 2007. The All-American’s become a mainstay in the Syracuse net as the first three-year starter since Galloway, one of the best goalies in NCAA history. Porter’s .529 save percentage is the worst season of his career after leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in save percentage last season. 

But former SU goalie Evan Molloy knows that’s motivating Porter. The goalie spent the first couple seasons settling in, but now his experience — 347 career saves — means he’s calm regardless of the moment, Galloway said. 

“Now you get to reap the benefits of a goalie with veteran experience,” said Galloway, now the head coach at Jacksonville University. “They’ve played in big games, and you need those experiences to be able to win those games. And obviously that’s where they hope to be here once you get into May.”

Porter has always had that confidence, said Greg Reid, Porter’s coach at St. Andrew’s College (Ontario). He wears every goal he concedes like a “battle scar,” putting everything else aside since freshman year to spend extra time practicing, if necessary. 

He’s a natural because he has those “intangibles,” Reid said. He also has quick and precise stick work, a common trait in Canadian goalies who grew up playing box lacrosse, said Alan Tsang, his EDGE Lacrosse club coach. He’s patient enough that he doesn’t jump straight for every ball, too.

“(Porter) doesn’t rely on making flashy saves,” Galloway said. “He makes the right saves and steals a few as well, and I think that’s the sign of a high-level goaltender.”

Before Syracuse, Porter ran his own practices when he wasn’t training at St. Andrew’s, EDGE, or IMG Academy, where he transferred his senior year, Reid said. He found the best shooters he could and asked them to shoot at him. He found outside coaching to hone his talent. He watched film of himself, opponents and NCAA and professional goalies he looked up to. 

“Just being able to play three years at Syracuse, (an All-American), leading the ACC in save percentage, things like that, he worked at that and he committed to that,” said Tsang.

Galloway was one of those goalies Porter looked up to. He wanted to be a goalie after watching Galloway on TV and YouTube, trying to emulate the star’s play. The two met when Galloway was a coach at Providence College, recruiting Porter at St. Andrew’s, and they still keep in touch.

Despite being one of four goalies on the roster, Porter didn’t redshirt his freshman year. He was a third-string goalie behind starting senior Molloy and backup Dom Madonna, but he got practice reps against All-American attacks instead of the other reserves. He watched the way the starting defense ran, too. Both fueled his growth, Molloy said, and by the time the starter and backup graduated and it was Porter’s turn to step up, he was familiar with SU’s unit. 

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Porter only played one game that year —  one minute and 14 seconds against Cornell in one of the final games of the season. He made two saves at point-blank range to close out the game. 

“Those flashes, you could tell he could play,” Molloy said. “You can kind of tell someone’s a gamer.”

Four years later, against then-No. 2 Duke in one of SU’s biggest games of the regular season, Porter had what Molloy said was the best game of his career. He notched 13 saves against one of the top offenses in the country, including several key ones in the second half as SU nearly overcame a seven-goal deficit. Against Vermont, he saved 62% of the season-high 52 shots he faced, too. 

This year more than ever, Porter’s shown he knows how to command a defense. He’s always communicating mid-game, Tsang said. As a team captain, he’s even typed up three points of emphasis, or specific goals, and shared them with his defense before each game. 

“He’s obviously one of the best goalies in the country, and when he’s feeling it, when he’s bringing all that energy, I think the whole team feeds off of it,” attack Stephen Rehfuss said after the Orange’s Feb. 27 win over Virginia.

Inside Lacrosse released their midseason All-Americans on Monday, and Porter — a preseason first-team All-American — was left off the list. He’s had better years, but those close to him know that Porter has the experience to bounce-back.

“He’ll play with a little chip on his shoulder,” Molloy said. “This is a nice little fire lit under his butt to really get him going.”

Published on April 13, 2021 at 11:24 pm

aekaylor@syr.edu | @cincinnallie