Elli Galkin is very familiar with the Cottonwood Colts soccer program—for good reason. 

“We coached her brother on the boys' side, and both kids were just such great leaders on and off the field,” said Cottonwood head coach Bryce Harvest before he put the captains’ armband around Galkin. 

When adversity hit, and the Colts coach was faced with eight of his starters leaving the program right before tryouts, coach Harvest said he needed a new leader. 

With the Colts first game coming up in 10 days, a somewhat unsurprising face in the goalkeeper’s uniform stepped to the fore. 

“She has shown tremendous leadership in the past week with our team,” said the coach of his new team captain. “She definitely puts the team on her back during games and practices.” 

Doling out leadership isn’t new to Galkin. 

Galkin’s dad is a pastor, and the Galkin family hails from Colorado originally, and yet the home that Galkin’s made in front of Cottonwood’s goal has been learned, to say the least. 

The Cottonwood junior spent three years on the road, traveling with her family across the United States and Canada in a trailer. They preached the gospel in churches and on streets, seeking converts. 

“The girls have said that they love the way she speaks to them and communicates on the field,” said Harvest of Galkin. “They think she’s an amazing keeper.” 

When someone wears short sleeves and no elbow or knee pads in front of a goalmouth that can often get chaotic and dangerous, that person is liable to gain believers—fast. 

In her first four games this season, Galkin kept a young Cottonwood team in those contests with clutch goalkeeping. 

The Colts opened the season Aug. 12 at a high-flying Bear River team and yet Galkin helped close the gates on further damage in the second half, limiting the Bears to just one goal in a 4-0 loss. 

In her next game at Hunter, Galkin nearly had a shutout were it not for a late goal Hunter scored Aug. 13 to hand Cottonwood a 1-0 loss. 

Then to open Region 10 play against Murray Aug. 21, Galkin stayed calm despite getting peppered with dozens of shots in a 3-0 loss. 

The fact is this: the Colts lost about 98% of their scoring from last year, a stat that puts added pressure on Galkin and is neither an excuse nor a reason for Cottonwood’s inability to score. 

Galkin takes full responsibility for all of the goals that are scored on her, regardless of the massive turnover her team has faced. 

“I've always heard how she leads the girls through challenges and isn't critical,” Harvest said. 

Slowly but surely, the Colts are gaining more confidence in front of goal, too. 

Cottonwood scored its first varsity goal of the season Aug. 28. As Galkin did all she could in front of the Colts’ goalmouth, limiting a potent Juan Diego side to just three goals at home, it was a teammate who gave her some relief. 

Amya Jones scored the Colts opener in the second half. It was the first goal that Cottonwood made this season. 

As for Galkin, Cottonwood’s keeper has plans after high school. Though she’s just a junior, she already has a school in mind, according to her coach. 

“For college, she’s looking into Air Force ROTC as a nurse at a Christian university in Ohio called Cedarville,” Harvest said.