The most important number in hockey is 24. It is not the number of games in a season, or players on a team, but the number of square feet that the goaltender is responsible for. If the puck sails through any quadrant of the porous space, a red light and a loud horn announce to the entire arena that the goalie has been defeated. For Illinois goaltender Nick Clarke, this has not been a common occurrence.

Ever since Clarke’s father introduced him to the game at the age of 5, he has only ever wanted to play one position: goalie. Clarke has owned the crease ever since he learned to skate.

“My dad, he’s from Canada … he played hockey for 15 years and he was actually a goalie,” Clarke said. “When you’re on the younger teams, everyone gets a chance to play goalie, but right when I learned how to skate, I made sure I played goalie every single game, didn’t let anyone else play. It’s kind of because of my dad.”

He may have followed his father in terms of his chosen position, but Clarke’s 90 percent save percentage this season helped lead the Illini to their third regular-season championship in school history.

“His save percentage would be better … if he hadn’t played such a significant amount of minutes for our team in comparison to other goalies in the league,” assistant coach and former Illinois goaltender Dan Rooney said.

The significant amount of minutes that Rooney refers to are Clarke’s 1,884 minutesin goal this season in 32 of the teams’ 37 games played.

Due to the unique nature of the position, no one has been on the ice for the Illini more than Clarke, and none in the same capacity. Unlike the other positions in hockey, the goalie does not play the game in 45-second increments and doesn’t have teammates on the ice that are playing the same position. Even though Clarke is one of the most respected members of the Illini hockey team, few can relate to what life is like between the pipes.

“Nobody really understands the emotions you go through unless it’s another goalie,” Rooney said. “You go through so many highs and lows, and it’s such a mental position and people who play forward or defense don’t necessarily understand.”

While the non-goaltenders of the squad may not grasp what it’s like between the ears of a goaltender, Rooney, who is Clarke’s roommate, has been there for him as a coach all season.

“I give him a lot of credit,” Clarke said. “With him in the coaching role, it makes it a lot easier on me in practice. … He’ll know right away this is what you’ve got to do, and it makes it a lot easier. I think it definitely has a huge impact on this year.”

Rooney may aid the first-team all-CSCHL goaltender with the technical aspects of the position, but to Rooney, stopping the tiny rubber howitzer is 80 percent mental — something that is internal rather than taught. While Clarke stops nine out of ten pucks that come his way, there is always that one that slices through what sometimes seems like an iron wall. When the red light shines behind Clarke’s net, he does his best to focus on the rest of the game.

“Whenever it happens to me, I try to get the puck out of there as quick as possible and move on. I don’t ever let it get to me,” Clarke said. “The guys will come give me a tap on the pads and let me know they’re going to get it back. That makes me feel a lot better … knowing that the guys are going to pick me up.”

While each goal on the Illini has to go by Clarke first, both coaches and players know that not every goal can be directly attributed to the netminder. Blown defensive assignments or quick breakaways often put goaltenders in a defensive situation that is no better than chance. On the rare occasion that an opposing puck pierces Clarke’s 24-square-foot wall, head coach Nick Fabbrini knows it’s not because the goaltender is taking a mental timeout.

“He’s probably got the highest compete level on the team. That’s during the games, during practice,” Fabbrini said. “He’s probably the most intense guy that we have. When the most intense guy is playing the most important position, that kind of helps establish an identity that we’ve ridden to our success this year.”

Clarke’s intensity was in full display during Illinois’ last regular-season conference games of the year against No. 4 Robert Morris.The Eagles came into the Big Pond averaging five goals per game. Statistically speaking, Robert Morris should have enjoyed its return trip to Chicago with a 10-goal weekend behind the team, but Clarke had other plans. After only allowing one goal in each game, Clarke shattered the Eagles’ hopes of taking home a regular-season conference title, taking it home for his Illini instead.

“That’s another game it’s really easy to get pumped for. A big rivalry,” Clarke said. “Those games are really easy to get pumped for, especially when you’re playing a team that’s ranked higher than you, where you want to pull off the upset. I like having the pressure on me, that’s for sure.”

To those in the hockey world, a goaltender loving pressure should come as no surprise. The constant microscopic scrutiny of a goaltender’s play often drives those who want to take the ice away from defending the net, choosing to attack instead.

“The pressure of winning and losing a game that a goalie faces is what keeps a lot of kids from playing the position,” Rooney said. “The kids that usually play the position are the kids that want that pressure.”

Pressure will not be in short supply when the Illini face defending champion No. 10 Delaware this Saturday in the national tournament. The last time the Illini took home a national title was when Fabbrini was a forward for the undefeated 2008 squad. With the single-elimination event being held in the Chicago suburb of Bensenville, Ill., Clarke will be the last man defending his team’s net and the city that is proudly silhouetted on his helmet, Chicago.

“He is the best goalie in the ACHA,” Rooney said. “I think he will prove that here at nationals.”

Patrick can be reached at [email protected] and @_PatrickKelley_.