Cheryl (Punnett) Curtis (BA '91) received OWIAA East Division all-star honours three times (1988-89, 1991) in her four-year career as the goalkeeper for the York women's soccer program. In that time the team won two medals at the OWIAA championships, a silver in 1988 and a bronze in 1990. Curtis had her best season in 1991, backstopping the team to an undefeated regular season while allowing just two goals in 10 games played during that stretch. She was recognized as the top goalkeeper in the country that year, earning CIAU first-team all-Canadian honours, and was also named York's female athlete of the month that September.
It was by accident that Cheryl (Punnett) Curtis became a soccer goalkeeper, a fluke that has since led to tremendous heights in the sport.
“I actually preferred to play forward, but I became a goalie by default because the team I was on didn’t have anyone else that wanted to play the position,” said Curtis. “There aren’t a lot of good goalkeepers but a team needs a good one in order to be successful. Eventually I became really good at it and just stayed with it.”
Curtis began playing the sport at the age of eight when her father coached her brother’s team and she was forced to attend practices while her mother was at work. At first there was no league for girls but the following year one was added and was signed up by her father. She stuck with it after that first year and became a full-time goalkeeper while in high school.
Mastering the position proved to be a good decision as Curtis showed immediate prowess for goalkeeping and went on to become one of the best in York history at the position.
In four years with the Yeowomen, she received OWIAA East Division all-star honours three times and had her best season in 1991 when she backstopped the team to an undefeated regular season while allowing just two goals in 10 games. She was recognized as the top goalkeeper in the country that year, earning CIAU first-team all-Canadian honours.
She was one of several rookies to join to the team at the same time and her play in net was instrumental in helping to lead the program to heights it had never before seen. The Yeowomen won two medals at the OWIAA championships in her four years, a silver in 1988 and a bronze in 1990.
Her most memorable moment from her time at York is one that no one with the program at the time will ever forget. Playing Western in their first playoff game after the undefeated season, Curtis had her nose broken by a Mustangs player in the first half and the Yeowomen ultimately lost the game on penalty kicks while Curtis was being tended to at the hospital, which ended their chances of qualifying for the national championships for the first time.
It was a difficult ending to a distinguished career but Curtis has gone on to experience other successes in the sport. She graduated from York 20 years ago with a degree in geography but has yet to give up the sport and continues to play at a high level.
A goalie in the Toronto Soccer Association’s premier division, Curtis plays on an open age team that has won the league championship four years in a row. The same team also plays in the Ontario Cup classics division and has won the provincial title in three consecutive years and just last season won the national title for the first time after winning bronze two years previously.
“Our whole team is over the age of 35 but we play against other women who are mostly a decade younger than us. We’re more experienced and we make sure not to run too much. I really enjoy continuing to play to keep active, and it’s fun to still play with so many former teammates.”
If Curtis continues to show the same goalkeeping prowess she did in her days at York, she will no doubt continue to rack up provincial and national championships.
