Printer Friendly Version - Knibbs Nets Major Gains as Stalwart Stopper

In his final season with the Hand boys’ soccer team, senior goalkeeper Clayton Knibbs helped the Tigers claim their third straight Class L state title this fall. Clayton was named to the All-SCC Housatonic Division Team, the All-SCC Second Team, and was selected as Hand’s Defensive Player of the Year. Photo courtesy of Clayton Knibbs

The power of perseverance is a key component of any high school athlete’s four-year journey. One person who can certainly attest to that is Clayton Knibbs, who bounced back from an injury to have an excellent senior season playing goalie for the state champion Hand boys’ soccer squad.

Clayton started playing soccer when he was a freshman at Hand. He shared time in net for the varsity team as a sophomore, but then suffered a hand injury prior to his junior campaign. However, Clayton came back to the Tigers with a clean bill of health this fall and made the most of his final foray between the pipes. Clayton posted eight shutouts, had 82 saves, and recorded an .865 save percentage on his way to helping Hand win its third straight Class L state title. He made the All-SCC Housatonic Division Team and the All-SCC Second Team, in addition to being named the Tigers’ Defensive Player of the Year.

“Soccer is a game of inches, for a goalie at least. I love the rush of making a big save,” Clayton says. “A key to my success was just staying with it. I had to battle for a starting spot, and then I had my injury weeks before my junior season. I didn’t give up, and I could’ve easily just quit, but it all turned out for the best.”

Clayton takes great pride in the fact that he helped Hand accomplish something most high school teams can only dream about. In each of the past three seasons, the Tigers were the last club standing at the top of the state’s summit.

“The three-peat was really special,” says Clayton. “It’s special because, when have you ever heard of a three-peat in Class L from a public school with kids from just one town? It’s crazy to think about.”

Goalies need to be quick on the draw and fast with their feet in order to make game-changing saves. Those attributes were right up Clayton’s alley, as the netminder had a knack for reacting and then flowing naturally to the ball.

“I like making those quick, reaction saves,” Clayton says. “I’m good at making those. I made one in the game during states against North Haven, where I tipped it just over the bar. I just let my body take over.”

Many of Clayton’s saves came in the biggest moments this season, including a few during Hand’s victory against Wethersfield in the state semifinals. The Tigers tied the game up with less than two minutes to play in regulation and wound up winning in double overtime to get back to the Class L championship game.

“Wethersfield scored with about 10 minutes left in the second half, and then it didn’t look good as the game went on,” says Clayton. “We got the free kick and tied the game. I couldn’t believe that game. I helped seal it with a save during overtime, and it was just a rush that went through my body.”

Head Coach Greg Cumpstone says that Clayton’s goaltending abilities meshed perfectly with the Tigers’ blueprint this year. Cumpstone adds that Clayton also has all the skills that are needed to play the field.

“Clayton was essential to our success this season and to implementing the style of play. We very much needed a modern goalkeeper, one who is comfortable playing the ball out of the back with his feet, in order to play the way we wanted to,” says Cumpstone. “In Clayton, we had a very well-rounded goalkeeper who was not only an incredible shot stopper, but also a very good soccer player with his feet. He would participate in our possession drills and rondos during training sessions and would be just as effective as most of the field players.”

Clayton played for three different head coaches during his tenure as a Hand soccer player. In the end, Clayton felt the reshuffling actually worked to the Tigers’ benefit, because it taught them how to deal with any unexpected changes that may come their way in life.

“With the coaching changes, it was actually cool that we had so many changes in playing styles. Adjusting to those changes tests your character,” Clayton says. “Even with the coaching change this year, it showed us that we needed to just trust the process. It pushes people harder and helps them mature.”