These goalkeepers are part of a bigger project, which you can find here. Pictures of the goalkeepers were posted when available. Newspaper clippings’ date and newspaper are found in the file name. Click on the photo galleries to enlarge the picture to read more about the goalkeeper.
71. Adrianna Franch
Long-time ODP Goalkeeper Coach, Douglas Cardosi, still speaks about the first time he saw Adrianna Franch at a Midwest ODP regional camp. “Minnesota is playing Kansas. Minnesota is getting chance after chance but this little goalkeeper would not give up a goal. She ran straight sideways batting and swatting and kicking the balls out of the goal. Doing everything absolutely ‘wrong’ but… she’s not letting any shots in. She’s absolutely stifling them. The next day, she’s invited into the pool game. A couple years later, I’m looking at the depth chart for the US national team and there’s Adrianna Franch.”
Citing her immense athleticism and shot-stopping abilities, Carodsi wasn’t surprised to see doors open for the young Kansas native, despite the lack of training in her local area. After high school, Franch traveled south to join Oklahoma State, where she notched 38 shutouts in her four years (more than doubling all but one goalkeeper in the school’s history). Franch made a name for herself on the national scene, where a 2009 matchup against USC saw OSU play upset in a penalty shootout. Franch followed up with strong 2010 and 2011 campaigns that ended in one-goal losses in the Elite Eight to the eventual winners (Notre Dame, Stanford). Although the Cowboys never made a Final Four, Franch elevated the Oklahoma school as their star player earned a MAC Hermann Trophy nomination and USYNT call-up honors.
Franch kept the momentum rolling into her 2013 as she was selected sixth overall by Western New York in the College Draft. The rookie goalkeeper helped the franchise capture the NWSL Shield that season, as well as reaching the final, where they would ultimately fall 2-0 to the Timbers. After a torn ACL caused her to miss the entire 2014 season, it would take until 2017 for her to win back a starting job in the NWSL, this time with the Portland Timbers. But once again the setbacks would not last long for Franch as her side, once again, reached the final, with this time ending in her lifting the trophy. Franch won back-to-back NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2017 and 2018 for her highlight reel saves and saw herself get called into camp after camp with the US Women’s National Team. After five seasons, Portland traded Franch to Kansas City, where she would reach the league final yet again in 2022, before eventually heading across the Atlantic to join Birmingham City in the WSL.
All along Franch’s career, she continually defied the odds and setbacks, ultimately earning 10 caps for the USWNT and becoming a two-time NWSL champion by routinely putting her team in a position to win. Regardless of which team she suited up for, she propelled her team forward through her elite shot-stopping abilities. Franch, a classic goalkeeper in many respects, embodied the cornerstone of American goalkeeping: “Whatever it takes, don’t let the ball go into the net.”
72. Joan Schockow
Joan Schockow, sitting bottom left, with the 1980 National Champions, Cortland State.
As goalkeepers on the men’s side were often multisport athletes, so were the early pioneers in women’s soccer. An accomplished softball and basketball athlete, Schockow was an early beneficiary of Title IX and continued to walk through open doors with her athletic career, leading her to Cortland State.
Just a few months before being named as one of the best in the country, Schockow was one of about a hundred students trying out for Cortland State’s women’s soccer team in the fall of 1980, and even at that point, she was still debating trying out for goalkeeper or as a field player. Schockow ultimately decided to try out as a goalkeeper and as her confidence grew, she cemented her position within the team with a standout performance against UMass in the early part of the season. Cortland State continued to gather momentum in 1980, eventually leading all the way to the final, beating UCLA and becoming the first women’s soccer champion in collegiate play.
Having Schockow on your team was like having coach on the field. Schockow was a strong leader who would cite her hatred to ever conceding a goal. Schockow spoke on her “unbelievable determination that I hated the ball going in the net, I mean, I hated it. I was going to do anything. I didn’t care what it was. I was going to stop that ball from getting in the net.” This determination provided the foundation for Schockow to win an All-American award each year in college, becoming the first goalkeeper to capture four All-American awards.
Although never getting a chance to prove herself with the first US Women’s National Team, Schockow played in the Empire State Games with the Western New York side after graduation, often competing for the gold medal, as well as eventually facing off against the USWNT with the Rochester Ravens in 1997. The nearly packed stadium featuring 9,131 fans witnessed Schockow’s last game before the heralded goalkeeper finally hung up her cleats.
73. Mandy McGlynn
Before Mandy McGlynn (née Haught) littered Virginia Tech’s record book in every goalkeeping category, McGlynn was working on her craft in Jacksonville, Florida with aspiring goalkeeper coaches like Chris Barocas. “When she was young, she was always very coordinated,” Chris explained. “She could make any save she needed to make, even at U13. She had an unbelievable, athletic, coordinated base. She was one of the fastest learners that I’ve had at that age. She was goofy and outgoing, which I think you need for a goalkeeper. She’s got those leadership qualities that you want in a goalkeeper.” McGlynn was a sponge in her early years, developing good habits that provide a strong foundation to overcome later setbacks. “For some reason, Florida ODP didn’t take her, they cut her. But US Soccer, three years later, said she was good enough to be a national team goalkeeper.”
With McGlynn's success with the USYNTs, Virginia Tech landed the future All-American goalkeeper and worked their way back to the National Tournament. In 2018, McGlynn shut out both Texas and Arkansas on the road, upsetting both teams in 1-0 wins before falling to UNC in the Sweet Sixteen. Although Virginia Tech wouldn’t reach the final four during her time in Blacksburg, McGlynn would be rewarded for positive play by being the 20th overall selection in the 2020 NWSL College Draft. However, McGlynn would largely be relegated to the bench over the two years, seeing just one league start with Gotham FC (now rebranded from Sky Blue). McGlynn sought time overseas with Piteå IF, helping the Swedish club lock down one of the best defenses in the league for the 2022 season.
McGlynn returned to Gotham FC to show she was championship material, helping the New Jersey franchise capture their first trophy since 2009 before they promptly traded her to Utah. The change in scenery didn’t stop McGlynn from showcasing her strengths as a front-footed goalkeeper who’s as comfortable with the ball at her feet as she is with it in her hands. The standout play, despite Utah finishing near the bottom of the table, led to her receiving an NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award nomination in 2024 as a top goalkeeper in the league.
With five caps already to her name, McGlynn is looking to help evolve the USWNT goalkeeper position into something more than just a shot-stopper. McGlynn abandons line-sitter mentalities and demands more involvement in the game through offensive and defensive tactical responsibilities, even though the added risk can turn into extra criticism. Over the next few years, look for McGlynn to display her strengths as a “goalplayer” more than a goalkeeper.
74. Valerie Henderson
Watching Valerie Henderson find success at the college ranks likely came as a surprise to no one who knew anything about her background. The two-time NSCAA/adidas Youth All-American and USYNT product is one of two goalkeepers to reach the Final Four as the starting goalkeeper in each of their four years (Cristina Roque with Florida State in 2023). Henderson averaged 19 wins a season and still ranks second all-time in minutes played by an NCAA D1 goalkeeper and likely would have captured first, had it not been for her stint with the U20s. In 2006, at the start of her junior year, Henderson joined the national team for the U20 World Cup, where the team would have a disappointing fourth-place finish despite the knockout round losses having Henderson conceding zero goals during regulation play, losing in penalties to China and then Brazil in the semifinal and consolation match.
Henderson tore through UCLA’s record books, with her 79 wins still ranking first for the school, and likely in the top five for all of NCAA D1 play. But despite having an All-American in net, UCLA came up short all four years and hold the bittersweet distinction of being one of the most dominant teams to never win a championship.
However the sour ending to her collegiate career did not stop Henderson from finding success at the next level. In the gap year waiting for the WPS to start, Henderson joined the USL-W Pali Blues to steamroll the competition with a perfect 14-0 season, conceding only 5 goals across regular and postseason play. The standout play led to her getting drafted in the 2009 WPS draft, two spots ahead of USWNT goalkeeping legend Bri Scurry.
Over the next three years, Hendesron trained alongside national team goalkeepers Karina LeBlanc and Nicole Barnhart, both of whom were in their prime years, Despite this, Henderson still managed to get herself on the field and showcase why she could compete with the league’s top goalkeepers. Although Henderson would only make one start with the Los Angeles Sol, a trade to Philadelphia opened a door for her to win the starting spot and help her side reach the 2010 WPS Championship, falling short to FC Gold Pride. In 2011, with the WPS in its final season, Henderson had an eight-game unbeaten streak while Barnhart was at the 2011 World Cup with the US. Although Barnhart would regain the starting position upon her return to Philadelphia, it was Henderson who had more shutouts and a lower goals against average by the end of the season.
Although Henderson’s final years featured brief stints with Swedish premier league club KIF Örebro, technically signing with the Atlanta Beat prior to the WPS folding entirely, WPSL side Bay Area Breeze, and a final preseason run with the newly minted NWSL franchsie, Western New York Flash. Although Henderson’s career was cut short due to lack of a stable domestic league, Henderson still climbed the highest of heights in an era when the women's game was still finding its footing in the U.S.
75. Joe Silovsky
There are few goalkeepers who were as accomplished in the club scene throughout the 20th century as Joe Silovsky. Over the 1930s and 1940s, Chicago ranked as a top soccer hotbed, led by nationally recognized clubs such as Chicago Sparta. A product of Sparta’s reserve side, Silovsky broke onto the scene in his first year with the senior squad by winning the National Challenge Cup in 1938, marking the first Cup win for Chicago in 25 years. Over the next decade, Sparta and Silovsky navigated a turbulent time in American history as World War II disrupted several local leagues in the country.
Historian David Litterer writes, “The war years hit Chicago hard, and many players went off to serve the country, leaving the leagues decimated… Before the war, there was some sentiment towards establishing a fully professional league for the Midwest, but that was sidetracked after Pearl Harbor. But the idea would return once the war was over…After World War II ended, the NSL was fortified by a flood of players returning from military service, and by 1947, was probably the largest amateur league in the country, boasting 42 senior, 12 junior and 5 youth teams within its divisions, covering a radius of approx. 55 miles, with teams in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.”
Over the decade, Sparta would be a formidable force in any competition they could find. Whether that was the one-off invite in the St. Louis Soccer League in 1939 - where they topped the out of state league - or within prestigious cups like Illinois’ Peel Cup or the National Challenge Cup play. Sparta captured the National Challenge Cup a second time in 1940, reached the quarterfinals six times in ten years, and captured the Peel Cup four times (1939, 1946, 1947, 1948). Heading into 1950, it was understood that Chicago, and Silovsky specifically, were a clear standout on the national scene.
Silovsky’s success with Sparta would ultimately lead to the greatest “what if” in American goalkeeping history. In 1948, Silvosky was named as an alternate for the 1948 Olympic squad, where National Challenge Cup foe Archie Strimmel would ultimately be named starter in the lone 9-0 loss to Italy. But Silovsky’s domestic success led him to be on the bench for the World Cup qualifier in Mexico in September 1949. From numerous articles, Silovsky was set to be confirmed for the 1950 squad as late as March 1950, just three months before the tournament. But by April Silovsky had been replaced by Gino Gardassanich for reasons unknown and in 1976, the entire World Cup squad was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame. However it was Silovsky, not Borghi nor Gardassanich, who was listed as an honorary runner-up to the 1952 Hall of Fame soccer class due to his exploits in American soil, despite never earning an official cap for the national team.
Although Silovsky’s legacy faded in time and the Hall of Fame never elevated the Chicagoan into the Hall with his peers, Silovsky was still a standout goalkeeper for over a decade. From capturing the National Challenge Cup in his rookie season to narrowly missing the US Soccer Hall of Fame, Silovsky’s story embraces the challenges of his era - unstable domestic leagues, limited opportunity, and the weight of an international war - and conquers them through personal success, detrimentation, and an air of mystery over “what could have been”.
76. Jen Grissinger
The photo is edited using artificial intelligence from an older picture found here. If the original photo with higher resolution becomes available, this photo will be replaced.
First years at Notre Dame are expected to have to face an extended wait to get on the field due but that wasn’t the case for Jen Grissinger (nee Renola). Grissinger not only managed to start her very first game as a first year, but continued to hold onto the starting spot for all four years, never missing one game and compiled an astonishing 87-8-3 record with 62 shutouts. But Grissinger wasn’t any ordinary goalkeeper as her youth featured training with the country’s top goalkeepers with Janine Szpara, Amy Griffin, and Mary Harvey through the ODP programs. Grissinger recounts Szpara’s demand for precise footwork, “She probably, to this day, still has the best footwork of any goalkeeper that ever played the game. She was so big on footowrk. I can literally hear her still saying, “It’s your feet that get your hands to the ball.”
Grissinger and Notre Dame had their fair share of tough opponents but their battles with UNC topped the bill. The 1994 National Championship featured a 5-0 drubbing by the Tar Heels in Grissinger’s junior year, but that didn’t prevent the Fighting Irish goalkeeper from earning first-team All-American her sophomore year. Notre Dame would play spoiler in the 1995 season, topping UNC 1-0 in the semifinal, with Grissinger being the obvious player of the match. Notre Dame completed the dream season with a 1-0 win over Portland, capping off 396 minutes of shutout postseason play for Grissinger. Notre Dame and UNC would once again meet in the 1996 National Championship and although Notre Dame pushed the game into double overtime, UNC would come back out on top, despite Grissinger earning yet another first-team All-American award her senior year.
In an era where goalkeeping had little established framework - and often resulted in goalkeepers leaning on hope over thoughtful play - Grissinger utilized her elite level coaches to perfect her technique and tactical play, rarely costing her team a goal, even under the highest amount of pressure. Holding a spot in the NCAA’s all-time leaders in midnutes and goals-against average, Grissinger was understandably named to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer 25th Anniversary Team in 2006.
Despite the lack of a professional league at the time, Grissinger’s career was another stepping stone in the early pioneers of women’s soccer. Her consistency and clutch performances cemented her status as not only an incredible ironwoman in net, but she also crafted a collegiate career that has been etched into the history of women’s soccer as one of the best four years any goalkeeper has ever had.
77. David Brcic
David Brcic with the 1985 USA Olympic Team
In the lead-up to the first ever youth World Cup in 1977, David Brcic was trusted as the number one goalkeeper for the U19s at the 1976 CONCACAF qualifying cycle. St. Louis head coach Harry Keough praised Brcic, later in 1985, for returning the investment US soccer placed into him at such a young age. "He was getting more help at his age than any kid in the nation. I think he is one of the best goalies we have in the country."
The US ultimately fell short to Honduras in the semifinals, narrowly missing qualification but Brcic played well in the tournament to catch professional scouts eyes. To satisfy a loophole to sign with an NASL side, Brcic dropped out of classes the fall of his sophomore year to sign with the New York Cosmos at the end of 1977. Despite a common event nowadays, there were those in the college ranks who complained about the Cosmos stepping over an unspoken line. Brcic, in contrast, cited the poor collegiate conditions preventing his road to becoming a professional, “For me, there was not enough chance to develop. We practiced in Forest Park, where we didn’t even have goalposts for the first two months. I’ve travelled internationally and trained internationally and I know what it takes to be a pro.”
Brcic stayed with the New York Cosmos from his signing at the end of 1977 until the league's folding in 1984, earning just 21 starts over the seven seasons as he sat behind experienced goalkeepers like Yasin Özdenak and Hubert Birkenmeier. But despite the lack consistent minutes, national teams still valued Brcic’s abilities, even after the NASL folded. In 1984, the US performed admirably with Brcic in goal, shutting out Costa Rica 3-0 and then conceding just one goal each to heavily-favored Egypt (1-1) and Italy (0-1), despite failing to reach the knockout round. Brcic was called in again in 1985 for the 1986 World Cup qualifying, starting in a 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
Although there were brief attempts to revitalize outdoor soccer, Brcic’s focus after 1984 was largely centered on the exploding indoor game. Brcic and the Cosmos reached the NASL indoor final in 1984 and was named All-MISL in 1987 while playing for the bottom-of-the-table Pittsburgh Spirit.
Brcic’s time in the outdoor game was limited, playing less than 50 official matches in his entire career across all competitions, but his decade with US national teams from the U19s to the Olympics to the senior team is a testament to his importance to his position within US soccer.
78. Gil Schuerholz
In the mid-20th century, playing goalkeeper past 40 years old was relatively unheard of, yet Schuerholz continued to step in goal simply from his love of playing. Originally breaking onto the scene in Baltimore, starring for Baltimore SC and the Baltimore Americans, Schuerholz would cap off his career in stellar fashion by heading north to start for the powerhouse Philadelphia Nationals.
As far as accomplished goalkeepers in the 20th century go, Gil Schuerholz’s trophy cabinet was as full as anyone else’s. A maintay in the National Challenge Cup scene, Schuerholz and Baltimore were named co-Champions in 1940, as well as a strong three-year run where he reached the finals (1949) and semifinals (1950, 1951) in consecutive years. Schuerholz was a clear standout in the American Soccer League, especially through the 1940s. Schuerholz first won the league with the Baltimore Americans in 1946, before winning back-to-back-to-back seasons with the Philadelphia Nationals (1949-1951). Schuerholz added three Lewis Cups to his resume as well (1947, 1949, and 1951).
Schuerholz’s resume earned him an honorable mention when the 1954 class for the US Soccer Hall of Fame was named. Although Schuerholz never earned a cap with the national team, his name surfaced around selection committees even when he was nearing 40 in 1950. Relatives of Schuerholz cited his inclusion in the 1936 Olympic squad but despite the games being hosted in the America, the 1936 Olympics unfortunately didn’t feature soccer, although Schuerholz undoubtedly would be a considered name if there were any talks of a roster to assemble. The unsung hero of 1940’s American soccer was always a strong addition to any side he suited up for.
79. Katie Fraine
In the history of women’s soccer, there have less than a dozen American goalkeepers who were still playing first division soccer after turning 35 years old and in 2022 Katie Fraine joined that illustrious group. Whereas the establishment of WUSA, WPS, and NWSL marked historic moments in women’s soccer, the sport quietly achieved a level where there were finally enough opportunities for women outside the national team to continue playing at a high level, unlike before where they simply had to retire if they weren’t automatically in the national team pool.
Fraine was a four-year starter at the University of Florida, where she led the Gators to four national tournament appearances, conceding just five goals in ten career matches at the tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen twice with Florida.
Although Fraine would get drafted by the Atlanta Beat in 2011, it would ultimately be Europe she would carve her pathway, despite obstinance from NWSL coaches to value players playing in Europe. Despite the difficulty in getting a chance stateside, Fraine continued being an integral part to every club she played for. For example, in the 2021 season in the Damallsvenskan, Sweden’s premier league, she led Växjö to a top-half finish in the table after the club finished dead last in goals scored.
From 2014-2017, Europe saw the best of Katie Fraine. In the 2014-15 Champions League, Fraine and Linkoping topped Liverpool (led by American goalkeeper Libby Stout) and reached the quarterfinal, joining Tim Howard as the only other American goalkeeper to accomplish the feat. In the Fall of 2017, Fraine (now with Avaldsnes of Norway) won their group stage before facing off against juggernaut Barcelona FC in the knockout round. Fraine capped off 2017 by capturing the Norwegian Cup with Avaldsnes after conceding only three goals in the five cup matches, including a shutout in the final.
Fraine eventually returned to the US after her stints in Sweden, Norway, and Scotland came to an end, signing with the Kansas City Current in 2024. Although she never suited up for an NWSL side, Fraine is a great example of a goalkeeper who pursued clubs that wanted to utilize her, never shying away from a challenge of needing to be the weekly hero to give her team a chance to win. For every team Fraine ever stepped foot on the field for, Fraine knew that if she didn’t play well, her team would likely not have much chance of winning that day. Fraine thrived on the added responsibility and continued displaying a high passion for the game for decades, eventually retiring at 38 years old with 253 appearances for first division clubs, ranking second all-time for female American goalkeepers.
80. Shelley Finger
Shelley Finger, featured with the 1994 UNC Women’s Soccer team, sits on the back row, third from right
When people talk about UNC’s dominant run, their superlatives are typically focused on the attacking players while disregarding the goalkeepers, including four-time national champion Shelley Finger. Finger earned All-American honors in 1991, as a first year, but UNC’s splitting of time between Finger and future USWNT goalkeeper Tracy Noonan made collecting accolades difficult for both talented goalkeepers. Although Finger would earn multiple postseason awards, her senior class amassed a 97-1-1 record over four years with Finger’s personal .43 goals against average standing atop the mountain.
Most players graduating from college in the ‘90s, they faced immediate retirement if the national team didn’t work out for them. Although Finger had been named to the U19 national team, she moved to Germany to keep playing. In 1994-95, she played for Wacker München and then positive play with TSV Fortuna Sachsenross in 1995-96 rewarded Finger with a national team call-up in the winter of 1995-96. But the lack of a tangible pathway with a real salary led Finger to return to join the only available league in the US at the time: the USWISL. In the league’s second season, Finger joined the Dallas Lightning and immediately planted the team as a top contender. Along the way, she would earn high praise, such as from Rockford coach Frank Mateus, “That save (by Finger) was the best I've ever seen.”
Finger and the Dallas Lightning reached the USASA Women's Open Cup finals three years in a row (1996-98) but starting vetenarian school paused playing aspirations until 2002, where the WUSA draft saw Finger - now seven years out of college - not only get picked up by the San Diego Spirit, but also get selected ahead of recently graduated UNC goalkeeper Kristin DePlatchett.
Although her stint in WUSA didn’t amount to time on the field as the league was already trying to roll back spending in just their second year, Finger’s four national championships, being one of the few American players playing overseas in the 90s, and short but successful stints in the US should be remembered as a continued persistence despite the lack of infastrucutre that later generations would enjoy.
Main Page
Goalkeepers 1-10
Goalkeepers 11-20
Goalkeepers 21-30
Goalkeepers 31-40
Goalkeepers 41-50
Goalkeepers 51-60
Goalkeepers 61-70
Goalkeepers 71-80
Goalkeepers 81-90
Goalkeepers 91-100
Honorable Mentions
