Fielding Pressures as They Come

Josh Koleske ’20 says the pressures he felt as the Green Knights’ last line of defense made his rigorous coursework not as stressful. The four-year soccer team standout parlayed his success athletically and academically into a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection as a senior.

“Rather than academics helping me play soccer, it has been the other way around,” the biology major says. “Being in high-pressure situations on the soccer fields helped prepare me for high-pressure situations in the classroom. When I have to take a big exam or give an important presentation, I am more relaxed because of the pressure I face in soccer.”

Koleske finishes a stellar career at St. Norbert with a 41-10-6 mark and holds the school record with 17 shutouts. He also kept a “clean sheet” in the classroom, posting a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. He earned three Midwest Conference Elite 20 Awards and was a first-team All-MWC selection as a senior.

“Being an Academic All-American is an incredible honor,” says Koleske, who will be attending medical school following graduation from St. Norbert. “Coming in as a freshman, it was my goal to be named to at least one of the Academic All-America teams by the time I graduated. I am thankful to not only having been named to the first team as a senior but also to be part of the second team as a junior.”

The first-team Academic All-America honor capped off a season that also saw the Green Knights capture the Midwest Conference Tournament championship and advance to the second round of the 64-team NCAA Division III Tournament.

Koleske played a key role in St. Norbert moving on in the national tournament, as the Green Knights advanced past Ohio Northern University on a penalty-kick shootout after their Nov. 15 match ended in a scoreless tie. “The entire experience was surreal,” Koleske says. “Through the game I was aware that we might end up going into a shootout, but I did not have time to process the situation until after it was over. That game was the highest-stakes penalty shootout that I had ever been a part of, so being able to advance with my team to the next round was exhilarating.”

The NCAA Tournament experience came on the heels of another big victory, with St. Norbert tipping archrival Knox College 2-1 in double overtime in the championship of the Midwest Conference Tournament. The victory came on the Prairie Fire’s home field, turning the tables after Knox did the same to the Green Knights a year earlier at Schneider Stadium.

“Knox has been a tough conference rival for the four years I have been at St. Norbert, so beating them is always special to our team,” Koleske says. “It was a hard-fought game throughout as it always is, and in the end I am glad we were able to be the more resilient team.”

That resiliency is an especially important trait during the soccer season. Playing a 20-game regular-season schedule in two months while battling the onerous Midwest Conference travel, plus staying on top of academic work, can tax even the most organized person.

“It was difficult to achieve in both of these areas because each requires an enormous commitment in terms of time and dedication,” Koleske says. “It was most challenging during the fall semester when I had up to four classes, including extra lab sessions, and had to go to soccer practices, workouts and games.

“However, spending time doing these things rarely felt like a burden because I was studying biology and psychology, both subjects that I enjoy, and playing soccer, a sport that I have been a part of almost my entire life.”

March 17, 2020