Publications & Sites 
Low stays in goal, close to home
Stevenson senior goalkeeper Quentin Low balances soccer with playing the guitar and the FIFA series of soccer video games. Low signed a letter of intent with DePaul Wednesday. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Updated: February 19, 2013 5:19PM
Somewhere along the way, a coach explained things to Quentin Low.
“When I was younger, I took an interest in being a goalkeeper,” said Low, who played four years of varsity soccer at Stevenson as a keeper. “As much as I didn’t want to do it all the time — I wanted to score goals — a coach told me to stay in goal. He said, ‘You are better at that than you are on the field.’ ”
So a goalkeeper was born, and on Feb. 6, Low signed a national letter of intent to attend DePaul next year and play keeper for the Blue Demons.
DePaul coach Craig Blazer had his eye on Low for some time.
“We tracked Quentin during his club season and got to know him there,” Blazer said. “He also attended our camp one year, and we were able to learn more about him. He’s a very good academic student, and we believe first and foremost he has the athletic ability and is a hard worker. With more training and direction, he will turn out to be a very good keeper, and keeper is a very important position for a college soccer team.”
Low, who played club soccer for the Eclipse in Libertyville as well as the Lemont Raiders, was the starting keeper for Stevenson this fall when the Patriots advanced to the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament. They finished fourth in the state, the best finish in the school’s history.
“I remember my freshman year, my good friends in my class and I talked about how great we would be when we got older,” Low said. “It was good to be able to get that far in the tournament and beat some really good teams. The whole experience was fun.”
Stevenson coach Mark Schartner credits Low’s presence in goal with a large portion of the team’s success.
“With any goalkeeper, you need mental preparation, quickness, agility, work ethic and verbal command,” Schartner said. “Quentin has it all.”
Low allowed just 12 goals during the regular season and finished with a 0.40 goals-against average with 18 shutouts. In the state tournament, he recorded three consecutive 1-0 shutouts. He was named the Pioneer Press All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year after his senior season.
“I think I communicate really well with my backline,” Low said in self-assessment. “I think my shot blocking is really good, too.”
Low wanted to stay close to home when he went away to college and chose DePaul over Illinois-Chicago and Knox College.
“(DePaul coaches) saw me at a showcase tournament and reached out to me first,” Low said. “It fits for me. It is near home, and it’s a good academic school, and it’s Division I soccer. It has everything I want.”
