L-W East Grad Goler Relishes Dream-Come-True Georgia Softball Career

While watching the Women’s Softball College World Series on television with her father as a child, Alisa Goler made a bold proclamation for a 7-year-old.

“I told my dad that I was going to play there one day,” said Goler, a Frankfort native and 2007 Lincoln-Way East graduate.

Goler backed up her prediction and is in the midst of a remarkable softball career.

She’s currently in her first season with the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch league after an All-American career at the University of Georgia where she experienced two trips to the World Series.

Goler’s journey to the professional ranks began at an early age.

“My mom and dad bought me a tee when I was 2 and I started hitting the ball,” Goler said. “I guess they saw a glimpse of my athleticism. I was told that I would go outside with my grandpa and uncle and toss a Whiffle ball around and I wouldn’t miss. I think they realized then that I could be something special.”

Goler went on to be a four-year starter for Lincoln-Way East.

The left-handed hitting shortstop was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-region first team and was an All-America selection following her senior season when she hit .427 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs to lead the Griffins to the state quarterfinals.

“I got to play for the best high school coach around in Aimee Lonigro,” Goler said. “She was really a big part of the reason I have done so well. I still stay in touch with her, and she came to the World Series to watch me last year. She was an amazing person to play for.”

Goler, who is a member of Lincoln-Way East’s Hall of Fame, holds a special place in the heart of Lonigro, who guided Lincoln-Way East to a state championship in the program’s first year in 2002 and is currently the assistant athletic director and head softball coach at Lincoln-Way North.

“When you coach any athlete, it’s super fun to have someone who loves the game like she does,” Lonigro said. “She absorbed everything you told her because she was always trying to get better. She had a great work ethic. I’d go to school on a Sunday, and I’d see her out on the field working with her dad. She was extremely focused. She didn’t just have goals and expect to reach them on talent alone. She worked hard to accomplish them.”

Record Smasher: Goler Made Her Mark at Georgia

Lonigro never doubted that Goler would shine at the collegiate level.

Goler established nine Georgia career records in her four seasons, including home runs (58), RBI (236), slugging percentage (.686) and toughest to strike out (0.076 strikeouts per at-bat). She set a Southeastern Conference record and ranks seventh all-time in NCAA history with her Georgia record 184 walks.

Goler capped her senior season by being selected to the Louisville Slugger/NFC All-America Second Team. It marks Goler’s third selection after being named to the First Team in 2009 and Second Team in 2010. Goler also was named to the five-player Lowe’s Senior CLASS All-America First Team.

“I was lucky. It’s really rare when you get to play on a team where the players push you every day to get better,” Goler said. “I had lofty expectations when I came in. I wanted to go to the World Series all four years, be an All-American and All-SEC player. I set the bar high. Then,  freshman year, I hit .295 with two home runs. Welcome to the SEC. That was a reality check, but I exceeded all of my expectations and more. I can’t complain.”

Among the plethora of honors Goler received, earning a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team as a third baseman probably caught the attention of Lonigro the most.

“I always thought she’d be a third baseman in college,” Lonigro said. “She didn’t want to hear that in high school when we were looking at colleges for her. She wanted a shot at being a shortstop. I just thought she could match up with any third basemen in the country and she did.”

History and Heartache: Goler's Memories Run the Gamut

Goler’s first World Series appearance was everything she imagined.

Georgia earned the program’s first World Series trip when she was a sophomore, finishing 3-2 and reaching the final four in Oklahoma City, Okla.

“To play there and put Georgia on the map was a great feeling,” said Goler, who made the all-tournament team. “To step to the plate in front of 8,000 people was one of the most surreal moments. It was a dream come true.”

Georgia made it back to the World Series the next season as well and advanced to the final four, but it wasn’t without a scare for Goler.

During the fall season in her junior year, she suffered an injury while taking a swing.

“It was excruciating,” Goler said. “Three ribs on my upper-left side dislocated. I couldn’t even run. Then, it healed wrong, so I had to break up the scars. I came back in January and thought I had to redshirt because I couldn’t do anything without the worse pain, but I played the whole year. I didn’t really tell anyone. It definitely made me mentally tougher.”

The pain from the injury paled in comparison to the ending of this season, however.

Georgia (51-14), which spent four weeks ranked No. 1 in the NFCA poll during the season, lost its best-of-three series to Baylor in the Super Regional to fall short of a third consecutive World Series berth.

“It’s probably one of the worse endings to a college career you can have,” Goler said. “I still think about it all the time. I’d be lying if I would say it was not heartbreaking. It still gets me and will take a while to get past. The only thing I can do is be grateful that I made it to the World Series two years because that’s rare for any player.”

Coming Thursday: Log on at 6 a.m. Thursday to find out about Alisa Goler's transition from playing Division I college softball to reaching the pro ranks with the Chicago Bandits.