Men's Soccer | 10/28/2018 11:31:00 PM

FAIRFAX, Va. – Clark Gronek enjoys practice. He truly does.

While others might dread the training sessions, the George Mason goalkeeper looks forward to lacing up his cleats every day and facing his teammates in practice. That's in part because, for goalies, practice almost always guarantees more action than games.

"I was having more fun in practice than I thought I would be in games," Gronek said. "Goalkeeper is kind of different. You don't get as many touches on the ball in games, but in practice you get hundreds of reps. I thought that was the most fun part of the position – the training."

And for his first three years at Mason, that's where Gronek found all of his action – in practice.

A 6-foot-2, 175-pounder, he arrived on campus in 2015 with a loaded arsenal in front of him. Soccer rosters usually carry three, if not four, goalkeepers in a given year. During his first two years, Gronek had three teammates in front of him on the depth chart. Established keeper and All-American Steffen Kraus spent most of the time in the net in 2015 and 2016. And when he didn't, Michael Butts, a five-year senior, earned the remaining minutes.

Last year, classmate Tomas Lapnas and then-freshman Corey Chambers split the minutes as Gronek remained the third option. Through, the first two games this season, it appeared Gronek might be waiting a little bit more as well.

But after an injury and roster departure, Gronek's name was finally called in his senior season. But Gronek's promotion wasn't born out of luck – he had earned his starting spot through all that time on the practice field.

"In the spring, he was a starter a lot, and he emerged as somebody we all gained confidence in," head coach Greg Andrulis said. "He is a very good athlete. He is a very good shot stopper. He quietly waited his time, paid his dues and now he is rewarded."

Gronek has started the last 11 games for the Patriots, posting a 6-5 record. He has recorded four shutouts for the most by a Mason keeper since Kraus had six in 2014.

His 28 saves and 1.43 goals against average in Atlantic 10 play have provided a boost for the Patriots, who clinched a spot in the league tournament for the first time in four years on Saturday after a win over Davidson.

"It is kind of worth all the work I've been putting in the past three years," he said. "It has been about being patient over the years and being consistent, being a part of the team, being a team player, doing whatever is best for the team to find. You want to help the team in whatever way you can even if you're not playing. I felt that I was getting better. I felt I was appreciated as a valuable player on the team. I never thought I was looked down upon because made contributions in practice and I participated just as much as anybody else.

"I've enjoyed it a lot," he said. "I think I have grown as a player, as a person throughout the whole process."

Gronek arrived at Mason in the fall of 2015 from Shaker Heights, Ohio. There he won a state championship as a senior with St. Ignatius High School, also battling for playing time in goal with Mikal Outcalt, who played three years at Pittsburgh.

Knowing he would face a similar situation at Mason in a crowded net, Gronek decided to take a chance on the only Division I team that offered him.

"Regardless of whether I am practicing or playing, I still get a chance to participate at high-level soccer every day," he said. "A lot of my kids my age, don't get that opportunity. They kind of peak in high school. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to continue my athletic career at a high level throughout college."

Still, Gronek admits it wasn't easy.

After his freshman season, he debated on transferring. He re-opened his recruitment and received an offer from another Division I school. But he decided to stay, believing the academics at Mason and the proximity and opportunities that come with living near Washington, D.C, would be more beneficial.

"I stuck around. And, looking back at it, I'm really glad I did," he said. "I have enjoyed each year more than the last, just finding my way through college. Because college really is the time to grow and develop yourself. I think I have done that pretty well throughout the years."

A finance major with an entrepreneurship minor, Gronek will graduate in May. He has already gotten a leg up with two internships over the past two summers. 

In 2017, he participated in an internship with Oaktree Capital Management, a distressed debt private equity fun, in Los Angeles.

"I got to be a fly on the wall, pretty much," Gronek said. "It was hugely beneficial. I got to learn financial modeling, build my Excel skills, learn research strategies, learn different research tools in the financial industry. And LA was fantastic, so cool. Beautiful weather every day. I got to walk to work."

This past summer, he interned for Western Reserve Partners, an investment bank in Cleveland that is branched with Citizen's Bank.

"Investment banking is the next step so it is more geared toward what I would actually do after college," he said. "I got to be a lot more involved in projects. I got to be a part of the deal process. I got to interact with clients. I got to build a full financial model for a pitch. I really enjoyed that."

For now, Gronek is trying to soak in all of his collegiate experience and enjoy the ride of his final soccer season. He is taking advantage of his time in the net after more than 50 games of watching on the sidelines.

He made his collegiate debut on Sept. 8 against Gardner-Webb in a thrilling 5-4 double-overtime victory. He has made 39 saves with a 1.70 goals against average for the entire season. He has made at least five saves in three games, including five on Saturday, in a 1-0 victory over Davidson. His diving save to his right with less than eight minutes left helped preserve the shutout.

"It is a great feeling," Gronek said. "(Making a big save) is equivalent to scoring a goal. That is what you're there for. That is why you are there. When you can do that effectively to help your team it feels great. I think (my teammates) all have confidence in me. I have been playing with them for three, four years so I think we all have each other's backs."

"We wouldn't bring a keeper in if we didn't think he could play," said assistant coach Billy Chiles, who works with the goalkeepers. "We always thought he was a great shot stopper. As it has happened, he has gotten into the spot and has taken the bull by the horns."