Cool, calm, collected: Absegami’s Goodwin goes out in style

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Austin, Texas, is not cool. The record high temperature in that city, established in 2000 and matched in 2011, bubbled the mercury at 112 degrees. Austin Goodwin is cool. He’s got the hair of a rock star, and prior to every game the eye black is smeared down his cheeks in a way Absegami senior attackman Austin Goodwin finished his career with a school-record 103 goals. (Glory Days photos/Dave O’Sullivan) that makes him look like a Scottish warrior from the 13th century. Yet he doesn’t charge onto the field like a madman. He strolls out to his position with the gait of a man walking down to the corner store to pick up the Sunday paper and a cup of coffee. When tempers flared following Absegami’s tough loss to Oakcrest on Wednesday in the Braves’ final game of the season, Goodwin wasn’t in the middle of the fray. He was standing near the sideline, relaxed, looking like he was more interested in what might be for dinner. So, naturally, when asked what it felt like to eclipse the 100-career goals mark, Goodwin’s reaction was, “It’s cool.” Becoming the all-time leading scorer in Absegami High School boys lacrosse history hasn’t been easy for the 18-year-old Galloway Township resident. He’s had to fight through a concussion and a torn ACL during his four-year varsity career and saw his junior season cut short halfway through due to that ACL tear. But each time he came back strong, and finished his career with a school-record 103 goals and a single-season record of 46, which he tallied this season. “He always has every teammate’s back. He’s a great player and we all have great chemistry with him. He works well with everyone,” said senior teammate Darren Sewell, an 18-year-old Egg Harbor City resident. “It took a lot of bravery (to come back from injury). I remember when he was in therapy, he was in a lot of pain but he just fought through it.” Goodwin, a senior a few weeks away from graduating who also was a diver for the Absegami swim team, said he didn’t know anything about lacrosse as a youngster, but it didn’t take long to figure out he had a talent for it. Goodwin, Absegami’s all-time leading scorer, also set a single-season record this year with 46 goals. of good kids who score. I’ve been told by other coaches that we’re a nightmare to scout because we have so many people that score.” Goodwin knew coming into Wednesday’s game, the last one of the season for the Braves, that he needed one more goal to reach 100. He didn’t take long to score it, putting one between the pipes with just more than a minute gone by in an eventual loss to visiting Oakcrest. “It was a huge weight off my shoulders. I said when I came out, ‘one shot, one goal,'” Goodwin said. “I didn’t want it to be the Austin Goodwin show. I wanted to win. I would have rather won and not scored my 100th than scored my 100th and not won.” “That was a lot of pressure,” Winneberger said. “It was good that he got to do it in the first five minutes of the game. That took a lot of pressure off of him.” In typical Austin Goodwin fashion, he put being Absegami’s all-time scoring leader in perspective as he was walking off the field for the last time as a high school player. “It makes me feel good, but I mean, records are made to be broken, so I can’t really hold onto it too hard. But I’m glad I can have it for the moment.”