You've heard the debates over which college football team holds the title of DBU aka Defensive Back University. You've seen the claims to PGU, or Point Guard University, amongst college basketball programs. Now, let us introduce you to GKU - Goalkeeper University.
Nashville has one of the most crowded sports landscapes in the country, but for the last decade one of the most consistently impressive sports shows in town has taken place between the pipes at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex.
As the Lipscomb women's soccer program has become one of the most dominant teams in the ASUN during Kevin O'Brien's tenure as head coach, goalkeeping prowess has always been a major factor. The Bisons have taken home five of the last eight ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year titles. O'Brien credits his wife, former Lipscomb goalkeeper coach Shannon O'Brien, in helping lay the foundation.
"When you put a good player with a starting point of a great coach and a great mentor who can get the best out of them, when you have someone who knows what they're doing, who can breathe life and belief and confidence into a goalkeeper, they become a more successful player down the road. That's a position where that's critical. Shannon was great at that."
O'Brien had a successful career of her own as a netminder. After a four-year career with the Arizona Wildcats where she finished as the program's all-time leader for least goals allowed, O'Brien played professionally for the Charlotte Eagles and the Nashville Wolves, earning a tryout with the NWSL's New Jersey Sky Blue.
O'Brien brought that experience to her position on the Lipscomb staff, where she coached the two most decorated goalkeepers in program history: Anna Buhigas and current Bisons goalkeeper coach Kate Mason.
Buhigas won three consecutive ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year awards from 2014-16 and was named all-conference in all four seasons in goal. She closed out her Lipscomb career with a slew of program and ASUN records and signed the first professional contract for any player in program history. After stints in the Italian and Cypriot leagues, she now suits up for KF Vllaznia Shkodër in Albania.
Buhigas minded the net for what was then the most successful stretch of soccer in program history. But the Bisons fell just short in back-to-back ASUN title games. After waiting patiently for years, Mason finally had her chance to shine. And she capitalized on that chance. Mason helped lead the Bisons to their first-ever ASUN Tournament title, clinching the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid, and was named the league's Goalkeeper of the Year.
After racking up impressive numbers and individual accolades, Mason faced her biggest challenge yet: A date with Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bisons entered the game as underdogs, but came away with a 1-0 last-second victory on the road. Mason was instrumental in the win, making a number of big saves down the stretch to shut out the Bulldogs.
After a stint playing professionally in Sweden for Telge United FF, Mason has now come full circle by coaching the latest in the line of stellar Lipscomb net-minders in reigning ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year C.J. Graham. Just as O'Brien had done for her, Mason is now doing for Graham.
"Jokingly, when I was still player, Shannon would say 'someday you'll come and take my job.' She always thought I would end up in coaching or in some form, even though that's not what I was pursuing at the time.
"She was a great teacher," Mason said. "Just from learning her style, not only the specific goalkeeping training and the coaching points she would give us, but also the relational aspect and trying to connect with me on an individual basis. Because it's kind of unique, it does feel like more of that one on one relationship when it comes to goalkeepers coaches versus field players. Hopefully, that's what CJ and Sydney can say they've experienced with me so far. That's definitely been my goal."
The Bisons are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, and they find themselves in a familiar scenario. On Friday, they're set to face SEC foe Tennessee, a 3-seed nationally, in Knoxville. Mason can provide Graham with a very specific set of advice, having faced, and beaten, an SEC team in the NCAA Tournament.
"You just have to go all out. It's going to be a good test," Mason said. "We will face a lot more shots and a lot more offense than we've had in our conference run."
Graham has turned in an impressive season, including tying Buhigas' program and ASUN record for shutouts in a season with 13, a mark that currently leads the nation. The Bisons have taken down two Power-5 squads with a 2-1 win over Mississippi State at home and a 2-0 win over Miami on the road. But Tennessee will represent a different level of competition.
"From what I've seen on film, they're a pretty scrappy team," Graham said. "And they're going to fight tooth and nail. So as a goalkeeper, I'm going to have to make sure that I fight tooth and nail back."
Mason's journey from Lipscomb to the pros and back again has inspired Graham to reach for the same heights.
"I kind of grew up watching Kate through high school," Graham said. "And it's incredible, her journey throughout - sitting the bench and then coming out and absolutely destroying it. Getting keeper of the year, and then going off to play pro. That's a dream of mine. She's just an inspiration."
Graham's career is just getting started. She is a redshirt freshman, so she will have plenty more chances to add to the Lipscomb record books. But when an opportunity of this caliber comes in front of you, you have to take advantage of it.
"Ultimately, the outcome doesn't matter because our opportunity to glorify God is there regardless," O'Brien said. "For me, that's what is always so special in this environment. We don't get to play on a national stage week in, week out like some of those Power-5 programs do. But here's our opportunity, and the hope is that we do it well."
