For the third episode in the History of American Goalkeeping, Lori Kats and Bill Reno speak on what goalkeeping was like in the late 70s and early 80s in women’s soccer. Lori Kats was the first All-American goalkeeper in college soccer history and is a perfect guest to speak on the challenges in not only trying to figure out how to play a position with limited resources (lack of goalkeeper coaches or Instagram), but also pioneering the game itself for women in the US.
After two years at Lewis and Clark, Lori transferred to the University of Oregon, where she would finish her undergraduate degree, ultimately winning all-conference each year at both schools. Lori had a brief tryout with the USWNT in 1985 before finishing up as one of the true legends in American soccer. There are a lot of “greats” in soccer but there’s only one “first”.
After the interview, Lori shared letters from the "International Sports Exchange" and the head coach at Colorado College about an all-star trip to Europe that she was invited on, including a patch each player received.