ARLINGTON — Kat Sanchez wasn’t sure how she did it, but she held a very physical Bellevue team to zero goals Nov. 10 in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.

“In all honesty I was just praying the whole time,” Sanchez said. “I just kind of used my instincts. And a lot of it was just God because I don’t even know how I did a lot of those things.”

Because of her performance, she has been named the Arlington Times-Marysville Globe Athlete of the Week.

It’s really how all the senior goalkeeper games play out.

“What I’m like in keeper is so hard. I’m like in a limbo state,” she said. “People have to tell me what I’ve done later because I’m just so into it.”

If she doesn’t rely on her instincts, it can be detrimental to her performance.

“It’s kind of hard as keeper to not let things get to your head,” she said. “And playing in the now, which is what [Arlington coach Nathan] Davis is always telling us about.”

“As a goalkeeper, you can have no memory,” Davis said. Otherwise “people are going to score more goals.”

Sanchez has trained with coaches to hone her goalie skills.

“If you overthink things that’s when you’re a second late,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez was backed by other defenders when Bellevue was swarming Arlington’s net.

“I think our big thing is pressuring high,” she said. “Pressuring is a big part of it, like letting the midfielders take control and let them step up. They’re really good with me on knowing when I call for the ball. They trust me pretty well.”

Throughout the postseason, Sanchez has only allowed one goal two-time state champion against Edmonds-Woodway 1-0 Nov. 7 for the district title.

She collided with an opponent and got a bruise from it, but she said she will not let it get to her head.

“From what I heard, there was nothing more I could do,” she said. “Which is more difficult to process if there was something I could do to change. Because then I know there is something I could work on. But I think it is something I have to keep to the side.”

She played goalie since her sophomore year at Arlington. She played various positions before that and was always a backup keeper for select teams she’s played on.

“And then when I got here, there was a lot of talented girls here on the field,” she said. “So I thought I’d try keeper and see if I thrived in that.”

She’s the “complete package,” Davis said.

“She’s got very good athleticism and foot skill,” Davis said. “She’s a positive leader and works hard and has the soccer talent to along with the other stuff.”

She’ll be asked to repeat her output against Sumner at the school’s Sunset Chevrolet Stadium Saturday, Nov 14, at 3 p.m. Sumner is physical, Davis said.

“She just needs to hold the fort down,” Davis said. “She feels confident and hot.”

She has verbally committed to Northwest University in Kirkland because it is a Christian school with an “amazing soccer program,” she said.