Goalkeeping is one of the toughest positions in the sport, with balls whistling by at up to 100km/h. Split-second decisions decide matches and we have asked some well-known goalkeepers which save meant the most to them.
Danielle Woodhouse (AUS) — 2000 Olympic Champion
“My most memorable save was during the Sydney Olympics. We were playing Canada and I was having a really good match. We were down in extra man and the Canadians threw a pass from four to one across the face of goals. Ordinarily, a good pass on to the hand and immediate shot is unstoppable as the goalkeeper needs to get all the way from one side to the other.
“I moved with the pass and threw everything I had into getting across, led with my arm and lunged for the post. I think my head was underwater when I got there and when the ball hit my hand and I made the save I remember feeling really surprised that I'd got there. (Hopefully the shooter did too!)
“Coaches and spectators don’t always understand when a save is really good. They often cheer madly for the easiest saves, so you often have to pat yourself on the back for those really good ones. I’m pretty sure I got a big cheer for that one but it was definitely one of the most physically difficult saves I ever made.
“Most satisfying save was in a local semifinal penalty shootout when I saved the first three penalties against a team we had some history with. I had recently had surgery so wasn't at my best but experience won out and I think I managed to psych them out.
“I've actually never lost a penalty shootout playing in goals although they weren't a major factor when I was playing internationally like they are now. Have had plenty playing in the Australian Waterpolo League (AWL) and locally since 2000, though!”
Laura Aarts (NED) — Triple European Champion
On making the Rita Keszthelyi penalty stop in the shootout victory over Hungary at the European Championships in Funchal, Portugal earlier this year:
“Every tournament, we prepare ourselves for the possibility of a penalty shootout. I had done my homework, and I know the Hungarian players inside out.
“Before the shootout started, I stood together with my goalkeeper coach and our second goalkeeper. We had already decided that I would face Rita’s penalty. Because I know her well, I was full of confidence that I would stop her shot.” And she did, gifting Netherlands the gold medal.
Betsey Armstrong (USA) — on 2011 Pan Am Games shootout
“I think that match — both the live action play and the shootout — was one of the most pivotal moments that group (that would ultimately go on to become the 2012 Olympic gold-medal team) experienced when I look back at the arc of that journey together.
“Fighting our way back from a deficit, clawing our way through overtime and into a penalty shootout, and ultimately winning after enduring round after round of penalties taught us to believe in and rely upon one another during moments that felt messy and uncertain.
“I know both for myself and my team-mates that specific moments from that match lived in our hearts and minds with every challenge we faced in London the following year.”
Sophie Jackson (GBR) — Against Israel at 2024 European Championships
“It was the crossover match to get into the top eight at the 2024 European Championships, our first major competition in 10 years. We were playing Israel and had been down the whole time. Trailing 9–8 with not long left on the clock; they won a man-up and stepped in for a quick shot from position four.
“I made the save, and we instantly launched a counter-attack. I fed the ball up the right wing to Katie Brown, who found Toula Falvey to score the goal that tied the match. It wasn’t the flashiest save I've ever made, but it was probably the most important.
“We then went to a penalty shootout, where I made another save to help the team secure the victory. It was a surreal feeling, and it's a moment I look back on with immense pride.”