By: Max Able
JC Higginbotham makes a save against Jacksonville University in a game during the 2021 season. (Picture courtesy of athletics.bellarmine.edu)
It took only one game for JC Higginbotham to get into midseason form in 2023. The Bellarmine goalie was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week after a strong showing in the season opener against No. 8 Duke University on Feb. 4.
Higginbotham faced 41 shots from the Blue Devils and saved 22, a career high for the senior goaltender and one short of the Bellarmine program record. Higginbotham said a lot of the credit belongs to the Knights’ defenders.
“My defenders, despite the score, I think they gave me a lot of the shots I wanted,” he said. “Those guys work extremely hard in front of me.”
Knights defensive coordinator Nick Marks said Higginbotham’s performance was one of the best he’s seen in his coaching career.
“For him to go out there last week and make 22 saves against Duke, who’s got close to 40 goals in their first two games out, they’re probably heading towards being one of the top offenses in the country, that’s huge,” he said. “I’ve been doing this [coaching] for 15 years and it was one of the best, if not the best, goalie performances I’ve ever seen.”
Despite the strong effort from their goalie, the Knights fell to Duke 19-7. Higginbotham said even though the Knights didn’t win, they will be able to learn a lot from their game against Duke.
“It definitely wasn’t the result we wanted, but going into film room, we took a lot out of that game, a lot of good, and a lot of stuff to work on,” he said. “A good team like Duke will expose a lot of things you need to work on.”
This is the first time Higginbotham has been named ASUN Defensive Player of the Week, and the second conference player of the week honor in his career, after being named Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week during his freshman season in 2020 (the Knights competed in the Southern Conference from 2015-2021).
Higginbotham is second in program history in saves with 365, which is 211 behind the program’s all-time leader Dillon Ward, who is now a member of the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League.
Defenseman Matt Ury said Higginbotham’s experience and leadership is a key element for the Knights.
“Having someone that experienced with a defense as young as ours is huge,” he said. “The biggest thing is he always keeps the energy up, so no matter what he’s always telling people where to go, yelling and screaming and getting people hyped.”
The Knights will be back home on March 4 against Virginia Military Institue. Faceoff is at noon at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium. Admission is free for students.
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