Quinn McAnaney: Spartan Leader In and Out of Net
10/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Nick Barnowski, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
When Quinn McAnaney found out he'd be slotted as MSU's backup goalkeeper, he could have backed down. Instead, he's developed a reputation as one of the most respected leaders on Michigan State's squad. "It's important to me," McAnaney said of being a leader. "The team needs guys that aren't on the field to lead in a different kind of way, and I feel I've done that pretty well."
The redshirt senior has allowed zero goals in three appearances with the Spartans, and his leadership off the field and during practice helped MSU reach the NCAA Elite Eight each of the past two years, along with winning a Big Ten tournament title in 2012.
McAnaney has pushed roommate Zach Bennett to become one of the country's top keepers, while helping the Spartan defense be a perennially difficult team to score on.
His willingness to do whatever possible for the team has not gone unrecognized, but the role has been tough for McAnaney at times. "Coming in as a freshman, everyone has playing time aspirations, and the goal is to come in and play right away," he said. "But in the reality of things, there are four or five goalkeepers on the team and one is going to play. That might have been tough to get used to right away, but I've definitely adapted to my role and I've embraced it wholeheartedly."
McAnaney has come a long way since starting his athletic career on a baseball diamond.
America's pastime was McAnaney's first love, and he didn't start playing soccer until he was eight years old. He earned numerous varsity letters in baseball at Glenbrook North High School, located 30 minutes north of Chicago, and the sport helped him become more competitive in soccer.
"They're both incredible team sports," he said of baseball and soccer. "Baseball might be a little bit more independent than soccer, but the camaraderie with teammates and being a leader pushes you to be the best you can be."
McAnaney dropped baseball after his junior year of high school to focus solely on soccer. As a kid, he played outside back until being put between the posts when his speed dipped and the "wheels came off," he said. It was his 6-foot-3 frame that drew him to the position, but the competitive nature and pressure helped him fall in love with it.
He played for a small club in his hometown of Northbrook, Illinois, until joining the Chicago Fire Academy in high school. There, McAnaney trained in an MLS-like system with some of the best keepers in the Chicago area, which helped him realize his potential.
"I realized that if I wanted to go Division I in soccer, I needed to put in the proper training," he said. "It was big time. Those training sessions were competitive and eye opening because I realized where I needed to get to play at this level."
McAnaney also starred for his high school team as he was named to the All-State and North Stars All-Area teams as a senior while being a Chicago Tribune ‘Goalkeeper to Watch.'
Despite the accolades, he wasn't highly recruited. But McAnaney wasn't going to give up on his college soccer aspirations easily. He knew MSU head coach Damon Rensing through his club coach, and came to a camp in East Lansing. The Spartan coaches liked what they saw and went to see McAnaney play at a few state cup matches, where he performed well.
Shortly after, McAnaney impressed at a week-long camp at MSU and was offered a partial scholarship to play Big Ten soccer.
"It was the allure of competing in the Big Ten," McAnaney said about accepting the offer. "When I heard a school like Michigan Sate was potentially interested, I jumped all over it. I visited and fell in love with it. I wanted to come to a big school. I wanted to be a part of something much bigger than myself."
McAnaney said his coaches â€" Rensing, Ben Pirmann, Cale Wassermann and Paul Gilbert, among others â€" have helped make him the person he is today. He also credited former MSU goalkeeper and current University of Evansville assistant coach Jeremy Clark as being a mentor to him during his first couple of seasons in East Lansing. Clark was a redshirt senior when McAnaney was a freshman and spent time as MSU's volunteer assistant goalkeeper coach.
"He taught me a lot about the position," he said. "He made me realize that there are a lot of things that are out of your control, and that you just need to keep working hard and wait for an opportunity."
The support from McAnaney's family has meant everything to him during his journey as a Spartan. Despite living more than four hours away, his parents, Gary and Dawn, routinely drive to DeMartin Stadium to cheer him on.
"Family is my priority," he said. "They drive up here and come to my games even though I'm not playing. That shows the kind of support I have. They're there to support me in any way."
That support from his coaches and parents has helped make success a sure-part of McAnaney's future. After receiving treatment for a couple of injuries in high school, he set out to become a physical therapist, majoring in kinesiology at MSU. He applied to Northwestern University's physical therapy school, and this summer got a phone call saying he had been accepted. It was a moment he said he would never forget.
"I can't even get over how good of a feeling it was. When I got that phone call, it was honestly one of the best moments of my life for sure," he said. "Michigan State prepared me in every way to build my application, with community outreach, academics and the athletic component."
With three games left in the regular season, the keeper will be making the most of the time he has left with his teammates. Make no mistake, though: as the Spartans prepare for the homestretch of the season, McAnaney's bright future is just getting started.
