Hartman Is Key to Galaxy Hopes

There’s an old soccer saying that as a team’s goalkeeper goes, so goes the team.

The No. 1-seeded and Western Conference champion Galaxy, behind the strong, stingy play of goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, has subscribed to that theory as it prepares to begin the Major League Soccer playoffs Wednesday against the Kansas City Wizards.

“I think our whole defense has been playing well the past few weeks and Kevin, with his shot-blocking ability, has been a very important element down the line,” Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said.

“He’s certainly a player who has the ability to make big saves in big games.”

Hartman has given up only one goal in his last four games and the Galaxy, which at one time was 11 points behind San Jose, caught the Earthquakes and passed them in the final two weeks, to win its fifth division title in seven years.

Hartman had consecutive shutouts against the high-scoring Earthquakes to end the regular season and nine saves in the Galaxy’s 1-0 victory at San Jose on Saturday, once blocking a penalty kick.

“As goalkeepers, there’s not really too much action we see on a consistent basis,” Hartman said. “So a lot of the pressure is psychological pressure.”

Which allows for a quick sense of accomplishment after a clutch block, as he had on Ronnie Ekelund’s penalty kick.

“There’s a small pause of relief there,” Hartman said. “But then you have to make sure the ball is cleared out of there so it all happens so fast.”

Hartman began the 2002 season holding the league’s all-time best goals-against average, 1.12. But the former UCLA standout also began the season on the bench behind fellow former Bruin Matt Reis.

At the time, many thought Schmid was resorting to hyperbole when he compared his club’s fortunes of boasting two exceptional goalkeepers to what the U.S. national team had on its roster for the World Cup in Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller, both of whom start in the English Premier League.

Especially when Schmid replaced Reis on the heels of a three-game losing streak.

But since then, Reis has flourished in a back-up role and given up only one goal in three U.S. Open Cup games.

Hartman, meanwhile, has shown flashes of his 1999 self, when he had 11 shutouts, set a still-standing single-season record with a 0.91 GAA and was named MLS goalkeeper of the year.

It would seem that Hartman, 28, is fully recovered from surgeries on his knee and wrist that slowed him the previous two seasons.

In 18 games this season, Hartman has a record of 11-6-1 with five shutouts and his 1.09 GAA is tied with Jon Busch of the Columbus Crew for the league lead.

“He’s fought hard the past two years and I’m sure it’s been frustrating for him,” Schmid said. “But goalkeepers always get better with age and he’s finding his form.”