2018 NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings

Available video attached to each goalkeeper. If known highlights of a goalkeeper are not linked, please head over to the contact page to submit them.

Seniors

1. Lainey Burdett (Arizona)
2. Ella Dederick (Washington State)
3. Alison Jahansouz (Stanford)
4. Vera Varis (UCF, Finland)
5. Cosette Morche (Texas A&M)
6. Arielle Schechtman (Georgetown)
7. Kaelyn Johns (Dayton)
8. Paige Simoneau (San Jose State)
9. Rachel Lusby (Portland)
10. Sarah Le Beau (Auburn)

Bill says: The senior class takes a massive blow with Ella Dederick tearing her ACL back in September, which likely makes her draft status drop considerably. However if Dederick can make a full recovery, don’t be surprised to see her name pop up again next year as she’s displayed the ability to play at the next level. Jahansouz and Burdett look to headline the draft class, earning second and third team All-Pac-12 honors, respectively. Schechtman was named Goalkeeper of the Year in the Big East and after an undefeated regular season run with Georgetown, she could very well hear her name called next January. Going back to the start of the season, the stars aligned to see Lusby and Simoneau fight to a 0-0 double shutout at the tail end of August.

Juniors

1. Mikayla Krzeczowski (South Carolina)
2. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado)
3. Jaelyn Cunningham (Illinois)
4. Rylee Foster (West Virginia, Canada)
5. Sandy MacIver (Clemson, England)
6. Mandy McGlynn (Virginia Tech)
7. Haley Smith (Illinois State, Canada)
8. Amanda Fitzgerald (Fairleigh Dickinson)
9. Megan Bonelli (Marshall)
10. Teagan Micah (UCLA, Australia)

Bill says: If you’re compiling a shortlist of top goalkeepers in college soccer, you have to consider Krzeczowski. The 1st-team All-SEC goalkeeper has kept offenses at bay, allowing just 10 goals in 19 games. MacIver missed the start of Clemson’s season as she was a little busy finishing third in the U20 World Cup, saving a penalty or two along the way. Mandy McGlynn served as the backup for the American U20 side this past World Cup but perhaps more notably, led her college side to their first NCAA Tournament win since 2015. Unfortunately Foster and Smith weren’t able to suit up for Canada this summer as they failed to qualify for the tournament, but the two combined for 44 starts and 31 goals allowed, giving confidence to Canada’s future goalkeeping core.

Recently the NWSL has announced that underclassmen can be drafted. However with how tough it has been for goalkeepers to crack into the league in the past, it seems unlikely a goalkeeper will leave early.

Sophomores

1. Kaylie Collins (USC)
2. Brooke Heinsohn (Duke)
3. Emily Alvarado (TCU, Mexico)
4. Hillary Beall (Michigan)
5. Jennifer Wandt (Baylor)
6. Laurel Ivory (Virginia)
7. Lysianne Proulx (Syracuse, Canada)
8. McKinley Crone (Oklahoma)
9. Sydney Schneider (UNC Wilmington, Jamaica)
10. Sofia Manner (Stony Brook, Finland)

Bill says: Collins locks down the top spot with All-Pac-12 honors by having performances all season as she did against LSU this past weekend. Beall rebounded well from sustaining an injury that removed her from the U20 World Cup to starting the final ten matches for Michigan, allowing just 11 goals over that period. While it was a 2-0 loss, Alvarado showcased her abilities through her eight saves against Texas A&M, giving fans and opposing strikers just an idea of how much of the goal she can cover. Schneider was a crucial piece in helping Jamaica qualify for their first World Cup ever, keeping a shutout in an upset victory over Costa Rica.

Freshmen

1. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina)
2. Hensley Hancuff (Villanova)
3. Brooke Bollinger (Florida State)
4. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern)
5. Lauren Brzykcy (UCLA)
6. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers)
7. Lydia Kessel (Vermont)
8. Samantha Estrada (SMU)
9. Zoe Clevely (Pepperdine)
10. Sydney Martinez (South Florida)

Bill says: Dickey split time with senior goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak but should be in position to take the starting spot for 2019. 6’3” Wildcat goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff looks to build off her freshman year that saw notch six wins in ten appearances. Northwestern’s season ended on a 1-0 loss to NC State but could have been a much larger scoreline had it not been for a number of Wood’s goal-denying saves. Martinez jumped into the starting role with USF without much of a hiccup, going 14-4 through the regular season, reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2015: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason

cover photo from the University of Arizona

2018 NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings

Available video attached to each goalkeeper. If known highlights of a goalkeeper are not linked, please head over to the contact page to submit them.

Seniors

1. Todd Morton (Delaware)
2. Rashid Nuhu (Fordham, Ghana)
3. Bobby Edwards (Mount St. Mary's)
4. Briley Guarneri (Colorado Mesa, D2)
5. Jimmy Hague (Michigan State)
6. Hendrik Hilpert (Syracuse, Germany)
7. Dylan Castanheira (Columbia)
8. Luis Barraza (Marquette)
9. Henry Stutz (Holy Cross)
10. Sawyer Jackman (UIC)

Bill says: We were all spoiled last year after we saw four goalkeepers selected in the first 21 picks of the 2018 MLS Draft so don’t expect a repeat as this class’ talent hails a little farther off the radar. While Morton and Edwards’ respective schools struggled to put together consistent performances, they have the size and mechanics MLS scouts are looking for. Nuhu should impress others with his feet, possessing the best distribution skills in the class. Barraza holds the possibility of a Real Salt Lake homegrown contract but spent the summer with in Chicago a few months ago. Guarneri notched 54 wins and 37 shutouts in his four-year career with Colorado Mesa, relying heavily on his Tim Melia-esque ability to track down a ball no matter the situation.

Juniors

1. Dayne St. Clair (Maryland, Canada) **
2. Jimmy Slayton (Hartford)
3. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State)
4. Jacob Harris (Colgate)
5. Wallis Lapsley (UC Davis)
6. Drake Callender (California)
7. Carlos Caro (Howard)
8. Sawyer Gaffney (Davidson)
9. Andreu Cases Mundet (Wake Forest, Spain)
10. Mertcan Akar (Old Dominion, Germany)

** - graduating early

Bill says: Most of the junior goalkeepers return from the preseason rankings although there are some newcomers. It looks like Canada’s top young goalkeeper won’t be returning next fall and with the CPL gearing up for their inaugural season, we could see him playing sooner than later. St. Clair (Red Bulls U23s) and Slayton (Ocean City) continued their success after spending the summer with prestigious PDL sides. While Siegfried holds a possible homegrown option with the Crew, the MLS side still doesn’t have a proper USL affiliate, which could complicate things down the line.

Sophomores

1. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
2. Ben Hale (Furman)
3. Will Pulisic (Duke)
4. Trey Muse (Indiana)
5. Matt Freese (Harvard)
6. Carson Williams (Villanova)
7. Will Palmquist (Denver)
8. Colin Shutler (Virginia)
9. Noah Lawrence (Cincinnati)
10. Miha Miskovic (Northwestern, Serbia)

Bill says: Out of the four classes, the sophomores stand out with the most depth. Vosvick is in the running for top goalkeeper in all of college soccer. FC Dallas product Ben Hale has quietly done very well at Furman, maintaining a sub 1.0 goals allowed stat line through his first two years starting for the Paladins. Thomas has transitioned well from Watford’s academy system into three-time national champions’ set up. Despite splitting time with senior Nick Gardner, Will Palmquist won first-team honors within the Summit League.

Freshmen

1. Justin Garces (UCLA)
2. Andrew Thomas (Stanford, England)
3. George Tasouris (Grand Canyon, Cyprus)
4. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece)
5. Adrian Fernandez (Oregon State, Spain)
6. George Marks (Clemson)
7. Christian Miesch (Stony Brook, Switzerland)
8. Quantrell Jones (UMBC)
9. Sam Ilin (LIU Brooklyn)
10. Ryan Curtis (Sacramento State)

Bill says: For those worried about international talent squeezing out the American player, don’t look at the freshmen class. Universities across the country have done an excellent job at identifying talented, young goalkeepers from all over Europe while the 1999’s and 2000’s were a little thin for the US. Garces, Jones, and Marks carry USYNT-filled resumes but all experienced their ups and down throughout the freshman season. Stanford (Matt Frank), Wake Forest (Dominic Peters), Ohio State (David Abonce), and UCLA (Cameron Douglas) possess talented freshmen who sat the bench but could resurface down the line, although with full rosters it may be a while until we hear from the MLS academy products again.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings
2014: Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason

cover photo from bluehens.com

NCAA Preseason Goalkeeper Rankings - Men's 2018

cover photo from University of Delaware

Seniors

1. Todd Morton (Delaware) - 22
2. Bobby Edwards (Mount St. Mary's) - 23
3. Rashid Nuhu (Fordham, Ghana) - 22
4. Nick Gardner (Denver) - 23
5. Briley Guarneri (Colorado Mesa, D-II) - 21
6. Jimmy Hague (Michigan State) - 23
7. Elliott Rubio (Utah Valley) - 22
8. Dakota Havlick (Santa Clara) - 21
9. Ben Willis (Gonzaga) - 22
10. Dylan Castanheira (Columbia) - 23

Bill says: There are a couple of PDL hotspots for goalkeeping where if a college goalkeeper spent the summer there, it's a good chance we'll see them again down the line. Morton (Ocean City Nor'easters), Nuhu (New York Red Bulls U23s), and Hague (Michigan Bucks) all trained with clubs who have a history of producing not only strong collegiate goalkeepers, but also professional ones as well. Elliott Rubio and Dakota Havlick are coming off junior years where they split time in goal and are looking to establish themselves as full-time starters for their final year. Ben Willis could be eyeing a homegrown contract from the Seattle Sounders by next spring, as the Gonzaga goalkeeper trained with the Sounders' PDL side, as well as graduating out of their academy system years ago.

Juniors

1. Dayne St. Clair (Maryland, Canada) - 21
2. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State) - 21
3. Jimmy Slayton (Hartford) - 20
4. Drake Callender (California) - 20
5. Andreu Cases Mundet (Wake Forest, Spain) - 21
6. Andrew Verdi (Michigan) - 20
7. Carlos Caro (Howard) - 20
8. Aron Runarsson (Vermont, Iceland) - 23
9. Charlie Furrer (Stanford) - 21
10. Marcel DaSilva (Virginia) - 21

Bill says: St. Clair (New York Red Bulls U23s) leads the pack for the juniors and is rated as one of the best prospects in college soccer by many scouts. National champions Stanford University are looking to replace Nico Corti and FC Dallas product Charlie Furrer is vying for the spot. Mundt, Verdi, and DaSilva (the last one transferring to UVA from Tulsa) will also have stiff competition from underclassmen and will have to prove themselves once again that they're worthy of being the number one. Howard's Carlos Caro has a live-or-die approach to goalkeeping that can either produce some wonderful contributions to the game or a largely forgettable moment from the 5'11" goalkeeper.

Sophomores

1. Will Pulisic (Duke) - 20
2. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland) - 20
3. Alec Smir (North Carolina) - 19
4. Drew Romig (North Carolina) - 20
5. Ben Hale (Furman) - 20
6. Andrew Pannenberg (Wake Forest) - 19
7. Noah Lawrence (Cincinnati) - 19
8. Trey Muse (Indiana) - 19
9. Noah Heim (SIUE) - 20
10. Enrique Facusse (Kentucky, Honduras) - 19

Bill says: When the 2021 MLS SuperDraft rolls around, there's a good chance we'll see a repeat of the 2018 draft where goalkeepers were flying off the board. There are another ten or more sophomore goalkeepers that have MLS potential so it'll be interesting to see who breaks out this fall and who will struggle to usurp an upperclassman. UNC has a tight situation on their hands with talented USYNT products, Alec Smir and Drew Romig. They could theoretically split 45's but most likely UNC is going to have one of the best backup goalkeepers in all of NCAA this year. Lawrence brings an immense amount of athleticism to Cincinnati's backline but will need to focus on limiting mistakes and rebounds as he attempts to lock down the starting role for the Bearcats.

Freshmen

1. Justin Garces (UCLA) - 18
2. Cameron Douglas (UCLA) - 19
3. Quantrell Jones (UMBC) - 18
4. Matt Frank (Stanford) - 18
5. George Marks (Clemson) - 18
6. Kyle Orciuch (Stanford) - 18
7. Alexander Budnik (Dartmouth) - 18
8. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greek) - 17
9. Johan Penaranda (Pittsburgh) - 18
10. Nick Malvezzi (Boston University) - 18

Bill says: While UCLA is typically known for their goalkeeping, it admittedly is odd seeing the top two goalkeepers in UCLA's stable. One has to think it's likely they both don't end their time at UCLA, as either could start for a majority of programs in the country. Jones (DC United), Frank (New York Red Bulls), Orciuch (Chicago), and Penaranda (New York City) all bring in Development Academy experience but may not see the field until 2019 or 2020. Nikopolidis is the lone international goalkeeper in the freshmen's list but the Greek goalkeeper could end up starting for one of the top programs in the country before he even turns 18. Overall it's an incredibly strong class that isn't limited to just ten goalkeepers and could rival the sophomores for producing professional talent.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings
2014: Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2016 Preseason and Final
2017 Preseason and Final

NCAA Preseason Goalkeeper Rankings - Women's 2018

cover photo belongs to WSU Student Sports Photos

Seniors

1. Ella Dederick (Washington State) - 22
2. Lainey Burdett (Arizona) - 21
3. Kaelyn Johns (Dayton) - 21
4. Shae Yanez (Tennessee) -21
5. Marnie Merritt (Mississippi) - 22
6. Arielle Schechtman (Georgetown) - 22
7. Alison Jahansouz (Stanford) - 22
8. Sydney Wootten (NC State) - 21
9. Alex Steigerwald (Murray State) - 21
10. Nonie Frishette (Wake Forest) - 21

Bill says: The biggest news from the senior class is the absence of Penn State's would-be starting goalkeeper Rose Chandler. Chandler's absence is rumored to be due to her pursuit of medical school, leaving an already thin graduating class even barer. Nevertheless, Dederick and Burdett are frontrunners for All-American honors, displaying the confidence and power to potentially make the jump to the professional game. Yanez, Merritt, and Wootten don't necessarily possess the ideal height for a professional goalkeeper but if they - or any senior - can consistently show scouts their ability to cover the goalmouth, they could very easily see themselves on some draft boards come January.

Juniors

1. Rylee Foster (West Virginia, Canada) - 20
2. Mandy McGlynn (Virginia Tech) - 19
3. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado) - 21
4. Jaelyn Cunningham (Illinois) - 20
5. Mikayla Krzeczowski (South Carolina) - 20
6. Haley Smith (Illinois State, Canada) - 20
7. Sam Miller (Lehigh) - 20
8. Sandy MacIver (Clemson, England) - 20
9. Katie Lund (TCU) - 21
10. Lauren Rood (Stanford) - 20

Bill says: Yet another group with a notable omission. Kentucky's Evangeline Soucie has recently moved on as the goalkeeper coach for the program after a strong sophomore season, where she ended fourth in the class. McGlynn (USA) and MacIver (England) will join their respective schools later than their peers, as both as participating in the U20 World Cup. And similar to last year, Rood will compete for the starting spot with Jahansouz while Katie Lund ended her sophomore year on a strong note, earning a U23 invite with the national team.

Sophomores

1. Laurel Ivory (Virginia) - 19
2. Hillary Beall (Michigan) - 19
3. Brooke Heinsohn (Duke) - 20
4. Lysianne Proulx (Syracuse, Canada) - 19
5. Kaylie Collins (USC) - 20
6. Emily Alvarado (TCU, Mexico) - 20
7. Sydney Schneider (UNC Wilmington, Jamaica) - 19
8. Madison Less (Cincinnati) - 20
9. McKinley Crone (Oklahoma) - 19
10. Hannah Sargent (Western Michigan) - 19

Bill says: Emily Alvarado is set to return to TCU after her U20 World Cup run, where she led her country to a 3-2 win over Brazil in their opening match. It's hard to see how TCU will handle both her and Lund vying for minutes but I'm sure their goalkeeper coach is well equipped to handle the star-studded roster. Beall was set to join her U20 teammates in France before a leg injury forced her removal from the World Cup squad, with no timeline given for a return. Heinsohn and Proulx combined for only a handful of games but are finally looking to take the starting spot with full force. Less and Sargent are hoping to build off their work earlier this summer, appearing for the Cleveland Ambassadors and Columbus Eagles, respectively.

Freshmen

1. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina) - 18
2. Brooke Bollinger (Florida State) - 18
3. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers) - 18
4. Zoe Clevely (Pepperdine) - 19
5. Olivia Sekany (California) - 19
6. Hensley Hancuff (Villanova) - 18
7. Katherine Asman (Penn State) - 18
8. Katie Meyer (Stanford) - 18
9. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern) - 18
10. Holly Stam (Duke) - 18

Bill says: It's hard to have an appropriate ceiling for freshmen goalkeepers when they have respected upperclassmen to supplant first. While Bollinger's and Sekany's chances at starting seem to be theirs to lose for the time being, Clevely and Meyer may have to wait a year or two before they break through the crowded depth chart. Just about every goalkeeper on the list has USYNT experience under their belt from over the past few years although Dickey's two-sport aspirations (suiting up for both UNC soccer and basketball) are a rare sight for modern D1 programs.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2015: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final