2019 NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings

cover photo from hokiesports.com

Seniors

1. Mandy McGlynn (Virginia Tech)
2. Sophia Brown (Cal Poly)
3. Mikayla Krzeczowski (South Carolina)
4. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado)
5. Rylee Foster (West Virginia, Canada)
6. Haley Smith (Illinois State, Canada)
7. Jaelyn Cunningham (Illinois)
8. Sandy MacIver (Clemson, England)
9. Heather Martin (Texas State)
10. Amanda Fitzgerald (Fairleigh Dickinson)
11. Brittany Wilson (Denver)
12. Courtenay Kaplan (Radford)
13. Ella Dederick (Washington State)
14. Amanda Knaub (Monmouth)
15. Teagan Micah (UCLA, Australia)

Most improved: Sophia Brown. Often overlooked, Brown is akin to a Swiss Army knife. The 5'8” Mustang goalkeeper possesses a shocking range when stretching out to cover the post, as well as a surprising amount of quickness to put pressure on strikers in 1v1 situations. While her athleticism allows her to cover shots that many can’t reach, Brown does have a knack for overcomplicating plays by relying on brute force instead of technical or tactical foundations, most notably on crossing situations. The senior class is overflowing with talent this year - take note of the 15 goalkeepers who are all ready for the next level - but Brown has an upside that if properly tapped into, could make a run at the world’s top leagues.

Juniors

1. Sydney Schneider (UNC Wilmington, Jamaica)
2. Emily Alvarado (TCU, Mexico)
3. Hillary Beall (Michigan)
4. Kaylie Collins (USC)
5. Emma Roccaforte (McNeese State)
6. Laurel Ivory (Virginia)
7. Jessica Berlin (NC State)
8. Melody Jayroe (Liberty)
9. Shelby Hogan (Providence)
10. Madison Less (Cincinnati)

Most improved: Hillary Beall. Rewind back to August of 2018, Beall is being erased from the U20 World Cup roster at the eleventh hour due to an untimely injury. While she was able to return to the field before 2018 came to a close, the USYNT goalkeeper was already facing questions about her longevity just halfway through her collegiate. But building off a strong summer run with the LA Galaxy OC - also known as the current 2019 UWS champions - Beall was rewarded with 3rd Team All-Big Ten honors as she played every minute in goal for Michigan this fall. Beall still has some work to do in close range situations, where she can’t rely as heavily on her 5’11” frame to make the save, but if she can continue her healthy streak she’ll have her pick of doors to walk through this time next year.

Sophomores

1. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina)
2. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers)
3. Bridgette Skiba (Oregon State)
4. Hensley Hancuff (Villanova)
5. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern)
6. Sydney Martinez (South Florida)
7. Kamryn Stablein (Delaware)
8. Brooke Bollinger (Florida State)
9. Anna Smith (USC)
10. Marisa Bova (Purdue)

Most improved: Bridgette Skiba. It’s hard to believe the Oregon State turned around a two-win 2018 season into just nearly missing the 2019 national tournament. The Beavers went 11-6-2, thanks in large part to Skiba’s NASA-esque statistical skyrocket. After finishing her freshman year with a 2.58 goals allowed average, Skiba returned for her sophomore year with a vengeance, posting a 0.98 GAA through 20 games. Skiba is now quicker, more intentional with her movement through the box, and has honed her reactions to cover every inch under the crossbar.

Freshmen

1. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
2. Alisa Crooks (Alabama)
3. Lindsey Romig (Tennessee)
4. Angelina Anderson (California)
5. Marz Josephson (North Carolina)
6. Tatum Sutherland (SMU)
7. Lauren Kozal (Michigan State)
8. Anna Leat (Georgetown, New Zealand)
9. Kat Asman (Penn State)
10. Jenny Wahlen (Portland, Sweden)

Most improved: Alisa Crooks. Whoever was Crooks’ goalkeeper coach during her time through high school deserves some recognition. To walk into an SEC program as a true freshman and post a 6-3-2 record while spitting time with a junior is no easy task, yet Alabama witnessed it first-hand. Her movement in even the slightest actions is a result of countless hours of molding a specific technical and tactical game plan. Crooks has some work ahead of her to get to a level of athleticism that many of her peers are already at, but she’s certainly in the 1% when it comes to consistency, mechanics, and decision making when compared to the freshmen class.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2019: Preseason
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final

The 30 Greatest Goalkeepers in Women's College Soccer History

cover photo from Colorado Springs Sports

Earlier in the year, Stan Anderson and Bill Reno released their top men’s collegiate goalkeepers of all-time. This month, Everybody Soccer presents the thirty greatest goalkeepers in NCAA history, specifically looking at the division one program. Rankings were based on collegiate accolades, overall ability, and team success during their tenure.

1. Janine Szpara (Colorado College, 85-88)
2. Erin McLeod (SMU, 01-02 / Penn State, 04-05)
3. Jen Renola (Notre Dame, 93-96)
4. Hope Solo (Washington, 99-02)
5. Nicole Barnhart (Stanford, 00-04)
6. Emily Shaw (Penn State, 98-01)
7. Heather Taggart (Wisconsin, 88-91)
8. Briana Scurry (Mass, 89-93)
9. Joan Schockow (Cortland State, 80-83)
10. Siri Mullinix (UNC, 95-98)

11. Alyssa Naeher (Penn State, 06-09)
12. Kristin Luckenbill (Dartmouth, 97-00)
13. Aubrey Bledsoe (Wake Forest, 10-13)
14. Marianne Johnson (UNC, 79-82)
15. Shelley Finger (UNC, 91-93)
16. Jaime Pagliarulo (George Mason, 95-98)
17. Ashlyn Harris (UNC, 06-09)
18. Kim Wyant (UCF, 82-85)
19. Tracy Noonan (UNC, 92-95)
20. Adrianna Franch (Oklahoma State, 09-12)

21. Mary Harvey (California, 83-86)
22. Valerie Henderson (UCLA, 04-07)
23. Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner (George Mason, 83-86)
24. LaKeysia Beene (Notre Dame, 96-99)
25. Saskia Webber (Rutgers, 89-92)
26. Skye Eddy (Mass, 89-92 / George Mason, 93)
27. Amy Griffin (UCF, 84-87)
28. Jillian Loyden (Villanova, 04-07)
29. Jenni Branam (UNC, 99-02)
30. Jen Mead (Providence, 91-92 / George Mason, 94)

The Early Years

The only four-time first-team All-American goalkeeper to emerge out of the NCAA system happened in the very first decade. Janine Szpara, who would later represent the USWNT and continue her pro career into her 30s, reached a level no other college goalkeeper has yet to match. But before Szpara suited up for Colorado College, two-time national champion Marianna Johnson was the first in a long line of successful UNC goalkeepers, six of which are featured on the list. UCF is another school with a decorated goalkeeping lineage. Their run in the ‘80s, highlighted by their 1982 runner-up finish, was largely backed by premier goalkeeping from Kim Wyant and Amy Griffin, née Allmann.

Even though Mary Harvey would later go on to help the US win their first World Cup and Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner’s performance against UNC would go on to impress USWNT head coach Anson Dorrance, it was ultimately Joan Schockow who left college with a mountain of awards. Schockow earned two first-teams as well as two third-team All-American recognitions during her four years, establishing herself as one of the first premier goalkeepers in women’s soccer.

Without a professional league until 2001, many goalkeepers scrambled to find homes after their senior year and Heather Taggart was no exception. After putting Wisconsin on the map, and wreaking havoc on the Badgers’ record books with 52 shutouts in her four years, she would cap off her final year with a first-team All-American award and a runner-up finish in the 1991 National Championship before turning to a life in the medical field.

Building Towards 1999

While Briana Scurry casts a large shadow on goalkeeping in the 90s, several athletes finished their career with a plethora of accolades. UMass presented a great example of overflowing talent as the university once held the two best goalkeepers in the country at the same time. Heading into her final year of eligibility, Sky Eddy would graduate from UMass and play her fifth year at George Mason, where she would promptly win All-American honors over senior UMass goalkeeper Briana Scurry. The two once teammates won first and second-team All-American, respectively, in 1993.

A bulk of goalkeeping starts for the national team also came out of the ‘90s. Scurry (175), Mullinix (45), Webber (23), Noonan (24), Beene (18), Luckenbill (14), Mead (6) and Pagliarulo (3) were all featured with the senior team after successful collegiate campaigns. And even though they didn’t receive a cap with the national team, Shelley Finger’s three national champions and Jen Renola’s NCAA 25th Anniversary Team recognition showcase their talent before the professional game gave collegiate players an avenue to continue playing after college.

New Century Ushers in New Talent

After facing an unbearable level of homophobia while at her first school, McLeod finished on a high note after transferring to Penn State, where she won first and second All-American honors (2005 and 2004, respectively) as well as a semifinal finish in her senior year. McLeod would go on to face Hope Solo and the USWNT many times over the next ten years, but McLeod wasn’t Solo’s first time competing against a Nittany Lion. Emily Shaw (née Oleksiuk) is a two-time All-American, including the 2000 honor where Solo was relegated to the second All-American team. Shaw would go on to earn two caps with the US national team before retiring after her 2002 season with the Carolina Courage.

Barnhart, Loyden, Harris, and Naeher all earned fame from the international careers, but Branam and Henderson combined for six final fours between the two of them. Branam, who would play as late as 2011 with Sky Blue, won two national championships with UNC while Henderson finished with 76 wins to her name during her tenure at UCLA as well as a spot with the 2006 U20 squad.

Modern Goalkeepers Take the Lead

As the decade comes to a close, two goalkeepers from the last ten years have stood out among the rest of the field. Oklahoma State alum Adrianna Franch has been featured with a national team camp numerous times, earning her first cap in 2018. Franch, a two-time first-team All-American, could be joined by Aubrey Bledsoe as the next US goalkeeper to earn her first cap with the national team. Bledsoe led Wake Forest to a 2011 semifinal finish, the school’s lone College Cup appearance, and was included in three different All-American squads during her career.

NCAA Preseason Goalkeeper Rankings - Men's 2019

Seniors

1. Jacob Harris (Colgate) - 22
2. Jimmy Slayton (Hartford) - 21
3. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State) - 22
4. Drake Callender (California) - 21
5. Andreu Cases Mundet (Wake Forest, Spain) - 22
6. Sawyer Gaffney (Davidson) - 22
7. Anthony Mwembia (Bowling Green, France) - 23
8. Wallis Lapsley (UC Davis) - 22
9. Robbie McKelvey (Duquesne) - 22
10. Carlos Caro (Howard) - 21

Make or break: Parker Siegfried. Siegfried holds a homegrown option with Columbus but similar to Luis Barazza last year, if he plays well enough he may have more suitors by the time the draft rolls around. The Crew doesn’t have a USL affiliate as of 2019 so roster spots aren’t easy to come by, although that could theoretically change for 2020. Siegfried has shown flashes of professional-level talent but the Buckeyes are coming off a 1-15-2 season last year. Realistically Siegfried needs a loud senior year to see an MLS contract in front of him come January to overcome his short stature, the Crew’s crowded goalkeeping core, and a dreadful finish in 2018.

Juniors

1. Ben Hale (Furman) - 21
2. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland) - 21
3. Colin Shutler (Virginia) - 20
4. Will Pulisic (Duke) - 21
5. Noah Lawrence (Cincinnati) - 20
6. Enrique Facusse (Kentucky, Honduras) - 20
7. Jake Gelnovatch (Louisville) - 22
8. Andrew Pannenberg (Wake Forest) - 20
9. Noah Heim (SIUE) - 21
10. Leon Krapf (NC State, Germany) - 21

Make or break: Will Pulisic. The highly touted goalkeeper, who was once training Dortmund, has yet to move past the third round in the NCAA tournament, being upset as a sixth seed both years. Pulisic has some name recognition going in his favor but being sub-six feet tall and lack of postseason success are going to be hard for scouts to overlook. If Pulisic showcases another postseason run with mixed reviews, there’s a good chance he is tagged with being a “good, but not great” goalkeeper. However if Pulisic and Duke put the pieces together and display why they’re a school that should be feared, Pulisic may not need to stay around for his senior year.

Sophomores

1. Justin Garces (UCLA) - 18
2. Andrew Thomas (Stanford) - 20
3. Alec Smir (North Carolina) - 20
4. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece) - 18
5. George Tasouris (Grand Canyon, Cyprus) - 23
6. George Marks (Clemson) - 19
7. Daniel Husa (Gardner-Webb, Norway) - 21
8. Alex Budnik (Dartmouth) - 19
9. Sam Ilin (Marist) - 19
10. Sean Murry (Monmouth) - 20

Make or break: Justin Garces. Heading into the fall this time last year, Garces was one of, if not the number one prospect within the USMNT goalkeeping pool. A middling fall and a quiet six months later, Garces has some competition for the number one spot just within his. Andrew Thomas was called into a U23 camp over the summer and both George Marks (Clemson) and Alec Smir (UNC) are set to take over programs with more than its fair share of top goalkeepers in its history. Garces needs a confident fall to springboard into an even more convincing spring and summer run, otherwise he’ll go down as a once-promising young athlete who struggled to put the pieces in order.

Freshmen

1. Patrick Schulte (Saint Louis) - 18
2. Collin Travasos (California) - 18
3. Mario Perez (Purdue Fort Wayne) - 18
4. Tomas Romero (Georgetown, El Salvador) - 18
5. Kris Shakes (Penn State) - 18
6. Marcus Peterkin (Connecticut) - 18
7. Nate Holladay (UNC Asheville) - 18
8. Duncan Wegner (Hofstra) - 18
9. Michael Collodi (Columbia) - 18
10. Rhone Ellis (NC State) - 18

Make or break: Patrick Schulte. Schulte broke onto the scene with his US Open Cup heroics this summer, clawing out three penalty saves to push St. Louis FC into the third round. (Watch the highlights and penalty saves here.) Last year we saw Matt Freese leave Harvard after only his sophomore season and 14 collegiate starts to sign with the Philadelphia Union, where he already has 6 starts in MLS action. While Schulte may not have the opportunity to leave after his freshman fall, professional teams are looking younger and younger to establish their goalkeeping cores. If Schulte can prove he’s on a professional track, don’t be surprised if the US Open Cup hero gets an early start on his legacy as an MLS goalkeeper, if not something abroad.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final

cover photo from Colgate athletics

NCAA Preseason Goalkeeper Rankings - Women's 2019

Seniors

1. Mandy McGlynn (Virginia Tech) - 20
2. Ella Dederick (Washington State) - 23
3. Mikayla Krzeczowski (South Carolina) - 21
4. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado) - 22
5. Rylee Foster (West Virginia, Canada) - 20
6. Jaelyn Cunningham (Illinois) - 21
7. Emily Plotz (Stetson) - 21
8. Teagan Micah (UCLA, Australia) - 21
9. Heather Martin (Texas State) - 21
10. Amanda Fitzgerald (Fairleigh Dickinson) - 21

Make or beak: Mikayla Krzeczowski. It’s the classic question of “Can the undersized goalkeeper cover the whole goal?” The 5’6” senior was named first-team All-SEC last year but will likely need a repeat showing to convince NWSL teams she’s worth bringing in next spring. Krzeczowski is quick and is surprisingly explosive, although handling has been an issue as LSU fans might remember. If Krzeczowski comes in with strong hands, shows she can cover everything under the crossbar, and gets a little help from her teammates to make a deep run, Krzeczowski could hear her name called in January. Anything else, and she may be outside looking in this time next year.

Juniors

1. Emily Alvarado (TCU, Mexico) - 21
2. Sydney Schneider (UNC Wilmington, Jamaica) - 19
3. Kaylie Collins (USC) - 21
4. Hillary Beall (Michigan) - 20
5. Lysianne Proulx (Syracuse, Canada) - 20
6. Brooke Heinsohn (Duke) - 21
7. Laurel Ivory (Virginia) - 19
8. Nadine Maher (Southeastern Louisiana, Ireland) - 21
9. Emma Roccaforte (McNeese State) - 20
10. Katelyn McEachern (Youngstown State) - 21

Make or beak: Hillary Beall. Going into her junior year, Beall still only has 17 matches to her name as 2018 was derailed with a leg injury. Beall spent this summer with the UWS’s LA Galaxy Orange County and while the added playing time and training will surely boost her confidence heading into the fall, her main litmus test will be found in quick decision making. The 5’11” goalkeeper has no problem laying out for a full stretch, but angle play and 1v1s aren’t her strong suit. Coming off a championship run with the LA Galaxy Orange County in the UWS summer league, Beall isn’t a stranger to winning, but prepping herself for the 2021 NWSL draft is her latest challenge.

Sophomores

1. Hensley Hancuff (Villanova) - 18
2. Lauren Brzykcy (UCLA) - 19
3. Courtney O'Malley (UNC Asheville) - 19
4. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina) - 19
5. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern) - 19
6. Lydia Kessel (Vermont) - 19
7. Brooke Bollinger (Florida State) - 19
8. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers) - 18
9. Madison Clem (Michigan State) - 20
10. Olivia Sekany (California) - 20

Make or beak: Olivia Sekany. While Brooke Bollinger might have a little bit of work to fend off redshirt senior Caroline Jeffers, Cal has their hands full with their goalkeeping situation. Rising sophomores Olivia Sekany and Amanda Zodikoff split time last year and US U17 goalkeeper Angelina Anderson joins them this fall. The U17 World Cup veteran arrives at Berkeley with enough prestige that immediately puts pressure on Sekany. As a former U18 goalkeeper, Sekany needs to show that last year’s 58% save percentage was an anomaly or else she may be playing second fiddle to a freshman goalkeeper.

Freshmen

1. Jenny Wahlen (Portland, Sweden) - 20
2. Angelina Anderson (California) - 18
3. Anna Leat (Georgetown, New Zealand) - 18
4. Emma Boutorwick (Toledo) - 18
5. Maggie Van Thullenar (Auburn) - 18
6. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada) - 18
7. Heather Hinz (South Carolina) - 18
8. Maya Bellomo (Baylor) - 18
9. Katie Meyer (Stanford) - 19
10. Alisa Crooks (Alabama) - 18

Make or beak: Anna Leat. Freshmen have the luxury of time so Leat isn’t necessarily in a massive crunch. However, the New Zealander started in the U17 World Cup and needs to show Georgetown she’s worth the investment. Georgetown heavily relied on graduated senior Arielle Schechtman last season but enter this fall with an open net. If Leat can’t nail down the starting spot sooner than later, the Hoyas may start looking elsewhere with the future of the net.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

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

Cover photo from Hokiesports.com