Wiher earns WCC honor

Four straight shutouts place redshirt sophomore Wiher in the top-10 all-time for USD

Chris Spiering / Sports Editor / The USD Vista

University of San Diego men’s soccer goalkeeper Matt Wiher has been named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Week after recording three straight shutouts over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Detroit Mercy, and Belmont University last week. 

Saturday night, the Toreros beat UC Davis 1-0 to advance to a 5-0 record on the season, their best start since 2002. The only goal of the evening was scored on a free kick in the 74th minute by senior Miguel Berry. The Toreros are 4-0 at home, and have outscored their opponents eight goals to zero in those games.

“The level is really high right now,” Wiher said. “There is an atmosphere that when we are together, on and off the field, that this is our year. 5-0 gives us a lot of confidence.” 

This current five-game win streak is the Toreros’ longest since winning six straight in 2015. 

The team is confident enough that if they score goals, they can beat anyone because of their strong defense. 

“We have a lot of different guys that we feel can score,” Wiher said. “They are getting results and we are really happy with it.” 

Offensively, the Toreros had five shots on goal to the Aggies’ three, all saved by Wiher. The redshirt sophomore had three crucial saves to keep the Aggies at zero. Wiher became the first USD goalkeeper to have four consecutive shutouts since 2006. 

“Clean sheets are everything for a goalkeeper,” Wiher says. “I am really happy with it. I thank the defense. It’s not just me out there with Henry (Lander), Aaron (Frey), Chase (Van Wey), and Aiden (Marmion) having my back. I just want to keep (the streak) going.” 

Wiher has not allowed a goal in over 420 consecutive minutes.

Saturday’s shutout win against UC Davis placed Wiher in the top-10 all-time for shutouts for the University of San Diego, tying with Carlos Castellanos (1994-1997) for 10th on the list. Wiher is already 10th all-time with 77 career saves as a sophomore.

For Wiher, this isn’t the beginning of his success. Wiher attended Irvine High School but transferred to Woodbridge High School after his sophomore year. The goalkeeper was the MVP of his team during the sophomore season and was named to the Pacific Coast League Second Team All-League. 

Wiher redshirted in 2017. In 2018, as a redshirt freshman, Wiher registered a 0.85 Goal Against Average (GAA) which was fifth best for a single-season in USD history. His 65 saves were also fifth best in school history. Those records helped him secure a spot on the All-WCC Freshman team. 

The WCC Player of the Week award is given to one male and  one female athlete each week. The honor is typically given to the player who stood out the most compared to the others. Winning the honor, no matter what the sport is, can boost a player’s confidence.

“You know, it feels like being a celebrity for a day,” Wiher said. “People congratulating me and I am really happy to see the (Player of the Week) article. It does give me confidence to see what I can do and I just want to keep on doing what I’m doing for the team.”

It is crucial that goalkeepers are focused at all times and are communicating with their teammates. 

“A lot of people have this image of a goalkeeper as someone who is really intense and is always screaming at the players,” Wiher said. “But I feel like I’m more reserved, so I try to play through example.” 

Every goalkeeper has their own strategy when it comes to controlling the pace of the game, but Wiher knows that his passion and intensity benefits his teammates. 

“I stay focused all game and try to be there when my team calls upon me,” Wiher said. “I’m not the most in-your-face but I try to perfect everything I do.” 

The fans are a huge part of the game. For Wiher, it gives the Toreros something to play for and the thrill of exciting fans engergizes their playing on the field.

“We love the fans when they come out,” Wiher said. “We have been getting a lot of good numbers out here and we really appreciate it.” 

Next Friday, USD will go on the road to take on UC Irvine at 7 p.m. 

Their next home game is Tuesday, Oct. 1 against UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. at Torero Stadium.