Real Salt Lake is 3-0 down to C.F. Monterrey in the Leagues Cup in the 86th minute. Striker German Berterame, who’s already scored 2 goals, has a great chance from close-range to add another but goalkeeper Gavin Beavers steps up to make an incredible save.
Despite it being a difficult night for RSL where the final result ended an 11-game unbeaten streak, 18-year-old Beavers made several impressive saves that could prove important when it comes to advancing to the next round of the Leagues Cup on goal differential. Those big moments might also be important to Beavers’ chances of becoming RSL’s full-time starter someday.
“I think, for the most part, he did a good job … he came up with a couple of big saves tonight,” coach Pablo Mastroeni said after the game. “It’s a process for Gavin, but he’s been doing great, I’m just proud of his mentality.”
Beavers came through the ranks in RSL’s academy in Herriman. Shortly after signing his first professional contract with Real Monarchs, which operates as RSL’s reserve team, a 16-year-old Beavers made history by becoming the youngest goalkeeper to appear in a United Soccer League Championship match at the time.
The next step was to sign a Homegrown contract with RSL in early 2022. In the 2023 season so far, Beavers has managed to get 10 appearances for RSL in all competitions — both because of injuries from starting goalkeeper Zac MacMath and the genuine confidence Mastroeni has in him.
“I’ve learned probably more than I have in my entire playing career in these last 10 games so it’s an awesome experience, I just have to keep pushing and learning,” Beavers said.
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Gavin Beavers (35) competes against Austin FC during an MLS soccer match, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
RSL conceded two counter-attacking goals in the first 13 minutes of the game against Monterrey, which was “difficult” for Beavers but there’s nothing he could’ve done to stop them — one an own goal from Justen Glad and the other a perfect shot into the lefthand corner. Beavers said he was still proud of the team’s resilience to stick together after that.
“We just tried to stay in the game and I thought I had a couple of good saves,” he said. “Definitely that third goal, watching it back I could’ve done better but I thought I had a decent performance.”
It’s not the first time Beavers has taken positives from heavy defeats, which Mastroeni believes is key to growing into an elite goalkeeper.
“His first game was against Columbus, where we took four, and he quickly bounced back,” Mastroeni said. “So that, for me, is a great sign of a young man that has lasting potential as a top pro.”
Homegrown center-back Glad said Beavers has been getting more confident with every game which is exactly “what you want with the young guys.”
Going forward, Mastroeni isn’t afraid of being direct about how much Beavers needs to continue to take his game to the next level.
“I think the speed of the game and the decision-making has to improve at every level in order to be competent at that level,” Mastroeni said.
When difficult results inevitably happen, Beavers is a big believer in keeping a level head and never getting too down on yourself after a tough game — both as an individual and as a team who aside from the Monterrey game has been in red-hot form recently.
“I think RSL has been in a good run the last few months so we just have to keep moving, keep pushing, keep doing our own thing,” Beavers said. “I don’t think anything about our mentality changes after this game.”
