NEW WILMINGTON — The wait was worthwhile for Tyler Little.

The 2011 Slippery Rock High School graduate began his collegiate soccer career at Mercyhurst Northeast before transferring to Westminster.

Last year, the goalkeeper saw little playing time with the Titans. He played in four games, starting none, made seven saves and allowed four goals.

“I was getting acclimated to the system and the school,” Little, now a junior, said. “It was pretty much a transition year for me. I transferred here to be closer to home and I like the program and the campus.

“We had a senior goalkeeper (Joe Bonish) who saw most of the action last year. Coach (Girish) Thakar said this year would be an open competition, that whoever earned the time would get it.”

Little has been a full-time goalkeeper in soccer since age 13. He began playing the position part-time when he was 10.

“I didn't have to run as much. That's what attracted me to it,” he joked.

But when it's his time to get between the pipes, the 6-foot-4 Little is all business.

He began this season splitting time in goal with senior Michael Girata. When Girata suffered a pulled quad and had to miss over a week, Little took full advantage.

“Michael's gotten healthy since and he's ready to play,” Thakar said. “But we have to ride the hot hand right now.”

That belongs to Little, who is 3-2-0 with two shutouts and only five goals allowed so far this year. He is sporting a 1.03 goals against average and a stellar .809 save percentage.

Little has made 21 saves and owns all three of Westminster's (3-6-1) wins so far this year.

“You don't wish an injury on anybody and Michael is a high-quality goalkeeper,” Little said. “But I had to show what I could do while I had the opportunity.”

Little made a career-high seven saves in a recent 1-0 loss to Lycoming — his lone loss of the year.

“Tyler is a reflex type of goalie,” Thakar said. “He's extremely quick and he anticipates shots well. He's always in the right position to stop shots.”

Little was recently named Presidents' Athletic Conference Defensive Player/Goalkeeper of the Week for his efforts. Besides the seven-save game, he worked 79 minutes, 26 seconds of scoreless soccer before allowing a goal in a 3-1 win over D'Youville College and permitted just one goal in 81:42 in a 5-1 triumph over Penn State-Altoona.

During his final two seasons at Slippery Rock, Little posted goals-against averages of 0.68 and 0.78. The Rockets finished 17-3-1 his junior year.

“I like being alone back there, being the last hope of stopping a goal against my team,” Little said. “I like giving my teammates enough confidence that they can aggressively move forward and attack, knowing that I have their backs.”

When there is a lot of time between facing shots, he admitted that “my mind can wander.”

“That's when I'll resort to singing songs to myself, anything to maintain focused in the moment. Play can turn quickly,” he said.

Westminster is off to a 3-6-1 start this season, but Little believes the team has what it takes to win a PAC championship either this year or next. The Titans haven't won a conference title since 2008.

“The potential is definitely here. That's what we're playing for,” he said.

A business major, Little hopes to remain in athletics after college, either working for a professional sports organization or running a recreation center.