One piece at a time, goalkeeper Carrera Lucas puts on her uniform.

 

It's bulky and heavy, but it's required for the role she plays.

 

She first puts on the headgear that shields her face, before completing the outfit with the rest of her gear.

 

But this is not the uniform that she wore for five years as a goalkeeper for Virginia.

 

Instead, this is a mascot uniform: the CavMan costume, University of Virginia's mascot, a role she served after her last season of collegiate field hockey.

 

However, the part Carrera played as CavMan is not so different from the position she played on the field.

 

In field hockey, the goalkeeper must lead with a roar.

 

They must survey the pitch, directing teammates to the proper positions. 

 

And if their advice fails, the goalkeeper is the last defense against field hockey's ultimate blunder: an opposing team's goal.

 

These responsibilities make the goalkeeper a central cog in a well-functioning hockey team machine.

 

During her five seasons at Virginia, first-year Villanova assistant coach Carrera was one of the best in the NCAA.

 

In 2018 — her last season as a Cavalier — Carrera led the ACC in save percentage (.787), ranking fourth in the NCAA.

 

"Playing field hockey for Virginia was one of the greatest collective experiences of my life," Carrera said. "I feel like one of the most notable parts of my career was the variety of different roles I found myself in: climbing from third-string walk-on freshman to a successful starter and captain."

 

Through the many roles she held on team, she became great at encouraging her teammates on and off the field.

 

Carrera used that skill to help her with that prized position she held as CavMan.

 

Becoming CavMan required an audition against six competitors, all in secret. Once selected, she couldn't tell her friends, or anyone else.

 

"As a mascot you cannot speak while in character, and you can never reveal your identity," she said.

 

After serving as a mascot for the Charlottesville Tom Sox baseball team before her fourth year of college, her boss — a former CavMan coach — put in a good word and pulled some strings for her.

 

Carrera then got the email inviting her to the tryout.

 

The first line of that email read, "please look to your left and right before scrolling down. Ensure that no others read what you are about to...," Carrera said. 

 

She then had to drop her information off on campus for the tryout, all in the cover of darkness.

 

As a former high-school mascot, she had always had a love for the job.

 

She dreamed of serving as CavMan for years, but never had the time due to her field hockey commitments.

 

That made her more than six months dressing up as a Cavalier all the more special.

 

"A short-lived term, but a great one nonetheless," she said.

 

Being the CavMan wasn't her only extracurricular activity during her time in Charlottesville.

 

Carrera is a part of the United States National Development Team, joining her last year of undergrad.

 

That's where she met and became friends with fellow Wildcat assistant coach Karlie Heistand.

 

"Training and playing with the Development Squad has consistently reminded me of how much I truly love the sport," Carrera said. "I consider Karlie, who I'm lucky enough to work with here at Villanova, to be a huge positive part of this team culture that I value so much."

 

As a former collegiate goalie, Carrera obviously had the skills, and being the mascot her graduate year encouraged her to embrace new challenges and helped push her to become an assistant coach.

 

As CavMan, she had to be very out of her comfort zone, since there's a lot of pressure on the mascots to represent Virginia well and entertain the crowd.

 

Carrera feels that directly translates to coaching by giving her experience reading people and adjusting her behavior to make them comfortable.

 

It also helps her add a little comedic relief to practice.

 

In her current position at Villanova, Carrera focuses on coaching up the goalkeepers, which this year includes sophomore Jordan McGinley and freshman Claire Borman.

 

"Carrera adds a lot to our team. She adds the perspective of recently playing for a great college field hockey program, her competitive nature, work ethic, experience and perspective of playing on the Women's National Development Team," head coach Joanie Milhous said. "Carrera is also a fun person to be around and adds a spark."

 

Although she has the experience in goalkeeping, Carrera came in this year a little nervous for her new position.

 

She had never coached at the college level, and there wasn't a big age difference between her and the goalies she was hired to help.

 

But from the beginning McGinley and Borman eased her nerves.

 

"The girls have really surprised me with the level of respect they've shown me, and how much they listen to me and ask for my input," Carrera said. "Jordan and Claire are extremely coachable and just plain fun to work with."