At first glance, it’s hard to tell that Tomas Gomez is a freshman. While his height and build are molded perfectly for his goalkeeper position, they also give him the appearance of a much older player. And with the way he has played this season, it’s hard to tell the difference between the rookie and his older counterparts.

Gomez has gotten his Georgetown men’s soccer career off to an impressive start, finishing the regular season with a record of 9-4-3 and surrendering just 14 goals in 16 games — a remarkable feat for anyone, let alone a freshman at the Division I level.

“Tomas is a kid that, in the recruiting process, you look at him and you say that this kid has all the tools,” Head Coach Brian Wiese. “He can organize, he can shot-stop, he has good feet, he can kick well and distribute well in general.”

The rookie has played over 1,500 minutes for the Hoyas this season, starting 16 games and posting seven shutouts in regular season play. He is currently ranked third in the Big East with a goals against average of 0.82. He also has 58 saves to credit, and his save percentage of .806 places him fourth in the conference.

But Gomez’s keen field vision and command in net are what solidified his role as the team’s defensive anchor this season.

“He has a good presence about him,” Wiese said. “You look at him, and you’re like, ‘I feel pretty good.’You don’t why you say that but you go feel pretty good.’ That’s presence.”

After dropping his first decision to Virginia Commonwealth in Georgetown’s home opener, Gomez helped the team to a 10-game winning streak that included two double-overtime victories, a pair of draws and six clean sheets.

In late September, Gomez earned three consecutive nods on the Big East Weekly honor roll — more than any other goalie in the league this season. He earned those plaudits after leading the Hoyas in four straight shutouts, including a Big East victory against Villanova.

Two weeks ago he was named Big East goalkeeper of the week for his performance against Marquette and then-No. 1 Connecticut. Gomez tallied seven saves in the two road games, including five against Marquette, this year’s Blue Division Regular Season Champion.

“If you look at some of the key things he has done, he has single-handedly kept us in games and maybe even won us some games or made some key saves when we were winning that kept us winning,”Wiese said. “Those things are absolutely priceless and he has done it regularly throughout the year.”

Before coming to Georgetown, Gomez had already generated big hype in the Midwest. The freshman earned four varsity letters from Webster Groves High School in Missouri, posting eight shutouts as a senior while helping the Statesmen to a South Conference Championship. He also earned a spot on the first team all-state class three and a spot on the ESPN Rise all-state team in Missouri.

Gomez began playing soccer at a young age with a strong influence from his father, who played in Colombia. His career didn’t take off until seventh grade, however, when he was asked to play for St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer, an elite club team

Gomez played for Scott Gallagher up until his arrival on the Hilltop this fall. While it was initially unclear whether he would play for the Hoyas this season, Gomez’s performance in the preseason earned him a starting position.

“You don’t know goalkeepers until they actually come into this environment. Because you are watching them with their club or high school and it is just a different level,” Wiese said. “So how is someone like that going to make that adjustment or jump from that level to the college level? Tomas has done it seamlessly. He really has been a revelation for the group and hugely important for the success we have had this year.”

“At the beginning it was kind of rough,” Gomez said. “It’s always tough changing from high school to college. I just got used to it a lot earlier than I thought I would.”

At Georgetown, Gomez’s success as a goalie is due largely in part to his leadership and authority on the field. Despite his underclassman status, he holds a firm command on the Hoyas’ back four, which is comprised mostly of juniors and seniors.

“It’s funny how the older guys will feel it,” Wiese said. “I’ll hear Tommy Muller, Slingerland, Nealis andIbu and those guys talk about him and say ‘You just don’t feel like he will let them score.’ When you have your backs saying that, it’s a real tribute.”

“Some defenders are thinking we can’t let these guys shoot, because if we let them shoot it’s going to go in,” he continued. “They defend really well because they are nervous of the goalies. But the guys have gained a lot of confidence from what they feel from Tomas. That is a real tribute to what he has done so early in his career.”

“It’s always scary putting a freshman back there with a lot of responsibility, but he has definitely stepped into that role,” junior defender Jimmy Nealis added. “He has come up big and made some really big saves. We have to rely on him again this weekend.”

The Blue and Gray were bounced from the first round of the Big East tournament last night, but if they are selected to the NCAA tournament field, Gomez will have a huge role to play if the Hoyas are to advance. But the freshman doesn’t seem too worried.

“A lot of people asked me if I could handle the pressure, but when you’re actually playing you really don’t [feel] it,” he said. “You’re just attuned to the game. I think I will be able to deal with it.”