After taking over for graduated multi-year starter Fabian Otte, McCauley’s consistent production and confident performances in the net have solidified his position as the Pack’s unyielding goalkeeper. The Technician spoke with the Marietta, Georgia, native about his time at State, the demands of a starting goalkeeper and his thoughts on the season.  

Technician: When did you start playing soccer? Have you always been a goalkeeper?

McCauley: I first started playing when I was about 4 or 5, and I think the first time I played goalkeeper was when I was 9, so I’ve been playing it from a really young age. I grew up with the game because my dad played professionally and introduced it to me when I could walk.

T: There was a lot of speculation about the goalkeeping situation with the departure of Fabian Otte. Did you see that as your opportunity to grab the starting spot? What kind of work did you put in to get the job?

M: At the beginning of the spring, goalkeeper was really up for grabs. I was coming off of last season with a little bit of experience—I played a midweek game when coach gave Fabian a rest, but I knew everything was up in the air in January. I spent a lot of time with the defenders to build chemistry and worked on the intangibles you don’t necessarily see on the field. Other than that, I trained to improve my foot skills, which were probably the weakest part of my skill set.

T: What are your responsibilities, both as an upperclassman and as the starting keeper?

M: I think it’s natural that when you become a starter, you want to bring leadership to the team. I’m not a captain, but I try to be calm and dictate the tempo of the game. Sometimes I have to slow the game down or speed it back up. I’m certainly taking more responsibility, but the main thing is leading by example and being a good role model for the younger guys.

T: What’s the competition like between the goalkeepers?

M: The competition is tremendous. People underestimate just how much the guys behind the starter make the starting keeper better, and I don’t even like saying “behind” because I trust all of these guys could step in and perform just as well as me. I owe them a lot of credit, and we all make each other better.

T: What’s it like to have former club teammates, junior defender Reed Norton and junior midfielder Holden Fender, playing with you in college?

M: It’s incredible. I never really imagined that I would’ve been able to play with them at the college level because initially, we went to different schools. We were all good friends, so I knew we’d stay close, but starting games together has helped us be comfortable on the field.

T: Are those the guys you mostly hang out with?

M: Holden, Reed and Travis Wannemuehler are my roommates, so we naturally hang out the most because we live together. During the season the entire team is together so much, though, that I try to hang out with all the guys and really grow that sense of community.

T: What are your thoughts on the season so far? Do you feel you’ve gotten over the hump and are into a good rhythm?

M: With every game we gain experience and get more comfortable with each other, and obviously it’s good to win, too. We know there will be setbacks over the course of the season, no matter how well we play. But we concentrate on the positives and build around what’s going well. We have good momentum going into Friday’s game [against Wake Forest].

T: What interests you about your major and what’s the balance like between class and athletics?

M: I’m a business major, and a big part of that is making connections with people, which is something you get plenty of practice with playing on a team. I never liked working by myself—I like working with other people—and that’s helped me build relationships.

T: What’s the best thing about being a student-athlete at NC State?

M: I do a lot of work with Athlete’s Connection, a sports-based ministry here at State. I love being involved with a ministry that uses my sport as a platform to share my faith in God. It’s a privilege, and I was definitely given this opportunity for a reason.