For ISU Club Hockey, relying on one goaltender became common with the likes of Chris Moore standing between the pipes for the past couple of seasons.

When Moore graduated last year it was not clear who would take over for him when this year began.

Luckily for head coach Steve Mussey and the rest of the Redbirds, they had two players ready to take the reins.

Meet ISU’s Ying and Yang. Goaltenders Steve Somerfield and Evan Casas.  

On paper, they appear to be quite similar. Both have winning records (Casas is 11-5 and Somerfield is 5-3-1) and both have similar goals against averages (3.28 for Casas and 3.55 for Somerfield). Heading into this weekend’s series against Lindenwood, they also each have one shutout.

Besides that, the goaltenders that are responsible for backstopping one of the most successful seasons in club hockey history could not be more different.

At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, sophomore Somerfield is a mountain of a man. He uses his size and strength to play a more technical style of squaring his body to the shooter and being able to direct rebounds. While his size might be intimidating, assistant coach Brian Corley knows Somerfield is anything but. 

“Steve is a very deep thinking kind of guy and a very sensitive guy,” Corley said. “Steve tends to separate himself off from the team before the game and get himself in a zone. He likes to rely on his instincts and the reaction that he has honed over all of these years playing at a high level.”

Although his size might be better suited for playing forward, Somerfield admits that he has always been fascinated by the player that looks so different from everyone else on the ice.

“If I go to an NHL game, my eyes are always on the goalie,” Somerfield, who was slowed by injury at the start of the season, said. “How you make that save, how you make that move. A great goalie can make a mediocre team great and a bad goalie can make a good team not as good.”

Along with Somerfield, Casas has been making his good team that much better. At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, the senior relies more on his athleticism and speed to come up with some of his highlight reel saves.

Prior to being a part of ISU Club Hockey, Corley and Casas won a state championship together when Casas played travel hockey in high school.  

“He’s more in the locker room with the guys before a game,” Corley said. “I don’t think he thinks as much about his pregame preparation. He has more of an easy-going laid-back kind of approach.”

For someone that is so easy-going, Casas will be the first to tell you he shines the brightest when the pressure is on the line.

“It’s just kind of fun to be the guy that everyone looks to,” Casas said. “It’s challenging and you’re always included in the game and it’s fun to play.”

As fun as it may be, Casas and Corley agree there might not be a more mentally draining position in all of sports.

“Being a goalie is 80% confidence,” Casas said. “Once you start to get hard on yourself, it is hard to get back. You have to erase your memory.”

While they are so different form one another, the combination of Somerfield and Casas has proved to be the perfect fit. Although Casas is a senior, he will return to the team next season while he studies to get his C.P.A. in accounting.

Having one skilled goalie is a must at the college level, but having two is a luxury. As much as they do for him on the ice, Corley seems more satisfied with what happens off the ice with his two goaltenders.

“For both of these guys I have known on a personal level,” Corley said. “One of the nice things about both of these guys is to have that personal relationship with them and help them grow as people.”