NCAA Preseason Goalkeeper Rankings - Men's 2022

Author’s note: Derrek Chan was originally listed as the sixth-ranked senior but Chan signed with New York Red Bulls’ second team earlier in the year, forgoing another year in college. Matt Frank has since then been added to the list as a replacement goalkeeper.

Seniors

1. Jassem Koleilat (New Hampshire, Canada)
2. Oliver Semmle (Marshall, Germany)
3. Dominic Peters (San Diego)
4. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
5. Michael Collodi (Columbia)
6. Ethan Koehler (Georgetown)
7. Ryan Troutman (Louisville)
8. Matt Zambetti (UMass)
9. Holden Trent (High Point)
10. Matt Frank (Stanford)

One to watch: The top American goalkeeper. It’s rare to enter a season without a consensus on the top American goalkeeper. Kris Shakes finished his junior year with an unrepeatable 8-2 loss to Hofstra in the national tournament while others (Peters, Troutman, Zambetti) have looked to the transfer portal after not having a stronger commitment from their previous school. In the past, MLS teams have been reluctant to pick up foreign goalkeepers but this year may prove to be an exception with Semmle returning for one more year and Koleilat making a name for himself with a top 25 program.

Juniors

1. Edu Rodriguez (Campbell, Spain)
2. Jacob Castro (San Diego State)
3. Sam Fowler (Washington)
4. Holden Brown (Virginia)
5. JT Harms (Indiana)
6. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
7. James Lowell (Maryland)
8. Kashope Oladapo (St. Mary's)
9. Alex Flowers (Western Illinois)
10. Josue Hangi (Georgia State)

One to watch: JT Harms. The Hoosiers are looking to replace MLS drafted-goalkeeper Roman Celentano with one of Duke’s promising goalkeepers. Harms got stuck behind senior goalkeeper Eliot Hamill last fall, only seeing 180 minutes over the 20 matches the Blue Devils played. It’s a rare transfer amongst two top programs but Harms isn’t heading to Bloomington simply to compete. The Columbus Crew prospect is aiming to lock down the number one spot for the next two years, as well revitalize his aspiring pro career. Although undersized, Harms is looking to prove the doubters wrong with his mobility and quickness in goal and lead the Hoosiers back to another national championship match.

Sophomores

1. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
2. Ben Martino (Virginia Tech)
3. Luca Ulrich (Georgetown)
4. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
5. Eoin Gawronski (Temple)
6. Alex Lopez (Tulsa, Spain)
7. Trace Alphin (Wake Forest)
8. Hayden Evans (Michigan)
9. Aurie Briscoe (Rutgers, Puerto Rico)
10. Alex Bobocea (Loyola Maryland)

One to watch: Luca Ulrich. With five goalkeepers on the roster, Ulrich will certainly have to battle for playing time in the nation’s capital. Georgetown isn’t against splitting minutes (see: 2019 national champions) but Ulrich will have to usurp senior goalkeeper Ethan Koehler enough to gain footing on the field. Ulrich has trained with professional clubs in both the US (Loudon United) and Germany (1.FC Koln, Union Berlin) but only saw 90 minutes this last season. If Ulrich can make his way onto the pitch with the Hoyas this fall, look for him to be a circled name on MLS teams’ clipboards moving forward.

Freshmen

1. Seth Wilson (Akron)
2. Cabral Carter (Pittsburgh)
3. Rowan Schnebly (Stanford)
4. KyMani Dade (Loyola Marymount)
5. Cole Kulhanek (Grand Canyon)
6. Patrick Schott (Belmont, Germany)
7. Sebastian Cutler (Charlotte)
8. Jay Hibbert (Connecticut)
9. Mitchell Budler (Akron)
10. Gavin Roberts (St. Louis)

One to watch: Seth Wilson. It’s been a long road to Akron for the north Texas native. Wilson quietly spent time in Portugal before returning to the states earlier this year. The former USYNT goalkeeper trained with Dallas this spring and summer and is now looking to get Akron back to their first double-digit win season since 2018. Wilson is joined by three other freshmen goalkeepers at Akron, including Philadelphia Union product Mitchell Budler. As to how the Zips will balance their core is hard to say but from resumes alone, it seems like it’s Wilson’s job to lose at this point.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2021: Final
2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2021)

photo from UCONN

Seniors

1. Nico Campuzano (Pittsburgh, Spain)
2. Jahmali Waite (Connecticut)
3. Neil Strauber (Florida Atlantic, Israel)
4. Oliver Semmle (Marshall, Germany)
5. Drew Romig (Belmont)
6. Carson Williams (Villanova)
7. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece)
8. Andreu Cases Mundet (Santa Clara, Spain)
9. Justin Garces (UCLA)
10. Stefan Schmidt (Rhode Island, Germany)
11. Dominic Peters (San Diego)
12. George Marks (Clemson)
13. Leon Krapf (NC State, Germany)
14. Alec Smir (North Carolina)
15. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
16. Dane Jacomen (Penn)
17. Ethan Koehler (Georgetown)
18. Noah Lawrence (Ohio State)
19. Rimi Olatunji (Providence, Canada)
20. Jamison Yoder (Green Bay)

One to Watch: Drew Romig. It’s not often that a collegiate senior is graduating with only 27 games to his name but with the logjam in UNC’s goalkeeping department, the former Tar Heel tried his hand at the transfer portal for a fresh start. With just one season at Belmont, Romig was a big part of why his new school set season records in wins (13) and shutouts (9). Romig gives off heavy Tim Melia vibes in goals: a delicate balance of readiness and chaotic impatience. He’ll opt to insert himself in a play instead of holding back but the lack of minutes haven’t let him smooth out his game yet. It’s a difficult style to play (just ask Melia how long it took an MLS to trust him with the keys to the car) but if a professional outfit can help him get traction, we could see quite the comeback story for a goalkeeper that was long counted out yet managed to salvage a career at the eleventh hour.

Juniors

1. Roman Celentano (Indiana)
2. Jassem Koleilat (New Hampshire, United Arab Emirates)
3. Luka Gavran (St. John's, Canada)
4. Adrian Fernandez (Oregon State, Spain)
5. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
6. Elian Haddock (Yale)
7. Michael Collodi (Columbia)
8. Holden Trent (High Point)
9. Jacob Jackson (Loyola Marymount)
10. Gunther Rankenburg (Georgia State)

One to Watch: Roman Celentano. If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely seen Celentano’s quad save from last month. Celentano impressed coaches during his time at Indiana to the point that both he and sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Schulte were invited to the MLS combine. Celentano is reminiscent of early MLS goalkeepers in how he uses his size to shut down chances on goal and makes the position look surprisingly simple at times. Strikers at the next level will undoubtedly look to offer more nuanced questions and how Celentano answers those questions will be interesting to track. As Celentano’s stock is at an all-time high, keep an eye on the Illinois native to possibly be donning a professional kit sooner than later.

Sophomores

1. Patrick Schulte (St. Louis)
2. Edu Rodriguez (Campbell, Spain)
3. Sam Fowler (Washington)
4. Jacob Castro (San Diego State)
5. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
6. John Harms (Duke)
7. Holden Brown (Virginia)
8. James Lowell (Maryland)
9. Lucas Morefield (IUPUI)
10. Kashope Oladapo (St. Mary's)

One to Watch: Lucas Morefield. Standing at 5’11”, Morefield is praying upon the spirits of Nick Rimando and Jon Busch to have a chance at the next level. IUPUI finished 3-12-1 this fall yet Morefield kept opposing offenses under two goals in a total of ten matches, relying heavily on his impressive reflexes and mobility in the box. Naturally Morefield has an uphill climb moving forward but if the sophomore Jaguar can prove that the lack of height and prestige hasn’t stopped him from developing an effective style, don’t be surprised to see a pro side gamble on him down the line.

Freshmen

1. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
2. Ben Martino (Virginia Tech)
3. Hayden Evans (Michigan)
4. Eoin Gawronski (Temple)
5. Trace Alphin (Wake Forest)
6. Jonathan Kliewer (Detroit)
7. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
8. Luca Ulrich (Georgetown)
9. Charles Janssen (UC Davis)
10. Gavin Krenecki (Louisville)

One to Watch: Nathanael Sallah. While many aren’t looking in Nebraska for the top goalkeepers in college soccer, the 6’3” German would certainly be on more radars if he held a US passport. Sallah’s quick tendency to resort to a kicksave and his poor handling will certainly annoy many American coaches but there’s no denying his ability to cover the goalmouth with ease. Sallah has heavy “boom or bust” energy as he can make some big time saves while inversely complicate rather simple situations. If Sallah can clean up some of the simpler parts of his game, he could make a natural transition into the pro game in the US after college. If not, expect to see Sallah struggle to catch on stateside after Omaha.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final

NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2021)

Seniors

1. Hillary Beall (Michigan)
2. Bridgette Skiba (Oregon State)
3. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina)
4. Hensley Hancuff (Clemson)
5. Marisa Bova (Purdue)
6. Laurel Ivory (Virginia)
7. Lysianne Proulx (Syracuse, Canada)
8. Jordyn Bloomer (Wisconsin)
9. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern)
10. Anna Smith (USC)
11. Jennifer Wandt (Baylor)
12. Ashley Orkus (Mississippi)
13. Kayla Thompson (Brown)
14. Emory Wegener (Georgia)
15. Mattison Interian (Notre Dame)
16. Lauren Brzykcy (UCLA)
17. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers)
18. Gabrielle Kouzelos (Louisville)
19. Megan McClure (Arkansas State)
20. Savannah Madden (Texas)

One to Watch: Marisa Bova. The 6’2” Boilermaker certainly checks a lot of boxes pro scouts are looking for: height, athleticism, handling, and box management. Bova isn’t afraid to put herself into the mix on corners or put her body on the line to make a game-changing save. As she preps herself for the next level, her success in the pro game will likely be tied to her ability to clean up situations close to goal. Although she’s found success using her power to cover the entire goal on shots from distance, she’ll need to pick up some nuance for when the game gets “small”. Whether on breakaways or just close-to-mid ranged shots, top strikers won’t hesitate to punish a misstep from a goalkeeper.

Juniors

1. Ruthie Jones (Duke)
2. Angelina Anderson (California)
3. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
4. Heather Hinz (South Carolina)
5. Katie Meyer (Stanford)
6. Jordan Silkowitz (Iowa State)
7. Katherine Asman (Penn State)
8. Amanda Delgado (Cal State Northridge)
9. Cayla White (Virginia)
10. Joella Chase (Georgetown)

One to Watch: Jordan Silkowitz. Although all eyes are on the top half of the list, Silkowitz has quietly helped bolster the state of Iowa into a goalkeeping hotspot. Silkowitz’s approach is one of meticulous design: efficiently moving and positioning herself like a professional. Although there are more athletic goalkeepers in her class, Silkowitz is able to cover the same - if not more - ground by smart footwork and not just solely relying on explosiveness. Silkowitz conceded a few soft goals on sharp angels this year but her progress until this point is incredibly apparent. As she heads into her senior year, look for her to continue to make Ohio State regret letting her transfer and put herself into the conversation as a potential prospect for the 2023 NWSL draft.

Sophomores

1. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
2. Cristina Roque (Florida State, Puerto Rico)
3. Emily Puricelli (Saint Louis)
4. Leah Freeman (Oregon)
5. Tatum Sutherland (SMU)
6. Hailey Coll (Oregon State)
7. Maddie Prohaska (Auburn)
8. Saskia Wagner (Little Rock, Germany)
9. Ashley Naylor (Notre Dame)
10. Lauren Kellett (TCU)

One to Watch: Leah Freeman. Freeman is almost the polar opposite of Jordan Silkowitz (see above). The recently called up U20 youth national team goalkeeper looks to utilize her athleticism whenever possible. Possessing an impressive spring and unlimited storage of bravery, the sophomore goalkeeper has pulled back a number of goals in just her second year as a starter at Oregon. Joined by Nadia Cooper and Mia Justus at the U20 camp, Freeman is tabbed as a favorite within the USYNT structure but could do well to learn from Silkowitz’s efficiency in maximizing movement in the box. As shots arrive on frame in tenths of a second, Freeman needs to add more tools in her toolbox than just pure athleticism to fully tap into her potential.

Freshmen

1. Mia Justus (Florida State)
2. Maria Echezarreta (NC State, Spain)
3. Nadia Cooper (Washington State)
4. Wiebke Willebrandt (Boston College, Germany)
5. Maya Bellomo (Yale)
6. Laura Nielsen (Kentucky, Denmark)
7. CJ Graham (Lipscomb)
8. Madison Goldberg (Oregon)
9. Bella Grust (Colorado)
10. Annabelle Adams (Saint Peter's)

Ones to Watch: Mia Justus / Cristina Roque. “Too much of a good thing” might be Florida State’s mantra over these next couple of years. The Seminoles have two top goalkeepers in Justus and sophomore Cristina Roque. Although Roque picked up about two-thirds of the minutes this fall, Florida State knows they have a U20 USYNT goalkeeper in their core that they can’t just let rot away on the bench. As Florida State continues to plan more trips to the Final Four, look to see how they balance the two young goalkeepers’ minutes.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Spring 2021)

cover photo from the University of Pittsburgh

Seniors

1. Andreu Cases Mundet (Santa Clara, Spain)
2. Nico Campuzano (Pittsburgh)
3. Ruben Stuiver (San Francisco, Netherlands)
4. Andrew Pannenberg (Wake Forest) #
5. Colin Shutler (Virginia) #
6. Will Palmquist (Denver)
7. Tor Saunders (Coastal Carolina) #
8. Will Pulisic (Duke) #
9. Noah Lawrence (Ohio State) #
10. Ben Hale (Furman)
11. TJ Bush (James Madison)
12. Paul Tyson (Georgia State, England)
13. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
14. Drew Romig (Belmont)
15. Keagan McLaughlin (Notre Dame)

# - Pulisic signed with Austin FC, Pannenberg with Colorado Springs, and Shutler with North Texas SC. Saunders and Lawrence were drafted by Nashville and Austin, respectively.

One to Watch: Noah Lawrence. Describing Lawrence’s last 18 months as “tumultuous” would be underselling it. After the former Bearcat saw the University of Cincinnati terminate their men’s soccer program, Lawrence joined Ohio State for his last year of eligibility before COVID upended his senior season. In January, Lawrence heard his name called in the third round of the 2021 MLS Superdraft, showing his hard work had not gone unnoticed. However, Austin has since stocked up on young goalkeeping talent (Brady Scott, Will Pulisic), leaving Lawrence with yet another challenge to clear.

Lawrence’s game is built off of covering ground quickly and easily, although he has struggled to solve tight situations consistently. If the Bearcat-turned-Buckeye goalkeeper can add more tools to his toolbox to effectively take vertical space and solve awkward close-range shooting situations, look for Lawrence to work his way up Austin’s goalkeeping depth chart.

Juniors

1. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece)
2. Neil Strauber (Florida Atlantic, Israel)
3. Carson Williams (Villanova)
4. Eliot Hamill (Duke)
5. Andrew Thomas (Stanford)
6. Daniel Husa (Gardner-Webb, Norway)
7. Quantrell Jones (UMBC)
8. Trevor Schneider (UTRGV, Canada)
9. Rimi Olatunji (Providence, Canada)
10. George Marks (Clemson)

One to Watch: Eliot Hamill. It’s not common for a goalkeeper with no USYNT experience to sit for three falls then take over the starting position for an ACC. However, after the exit of senior goalkeeper Will Pulisic, Duke turned to Hamill for the bulk of their minutes. Although USYNT alum and freshman goalkeeper JT Harms received some playing time, Hamil’s experience to handle pressure was something that impressed head coach John Kerr, which says a lot about Hamill’s determination to continue to develop despite the lack of minutes.

Similar to Lawrence, Hamill possesses impressive speed and reflexes but can resort to “shooting from the hip” when plays break down, which happened a fair bit during Duke’s 4-3-10 (W-T-L) season. Starting for Duke in itself is no easy feat - and keeping Harms on the bench only adds to the pressure - but Hamill could quickly find himself going from an unknown backup goalkeeper to a top prospect for the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, if he’s able to find a healthy blend of methodical and improvisational.

Sophomores

1. Lluis Martorell (SIUE, Spain)
2. Roman Celentano (Indiana)
3. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
4. Ryan Troutman (Kentucky)
5. Matt Zambetti (Virginia Tech)
6. Michael Collodi (Columbia)
7. Giacomo Piccardo (Davidson, Italy)
8. Seanan Main (Western Illinois, Canada)
9. Holden Trent (High Point)
10. Sam Fowler (Washington)

One to Watch: Roman Celentano. Celentano fits the bill for a typical Hoosier goalkeeper: big, strong hands, and confident cross management skills. The Illinois native plays in a way that is eerily reminiscent of goalkeeping from the early-00s, almost as if he missed the memo that goalkeepers don’t collect crosses outside of their six-yard box anymore.

Typically Indiana’s defense does well to protect their goalkeepers (notice the yearly high save percentage for their goalkeepers) and this year is no different. However, the modern game asks for goalkeepers to make quick, nuanced decisions in tenths of a second. Celentano reads attacking balls well but isn’t extremely quick-footed and can make playing out of the back look cumbersome at times. For goalkeepers with Celentano’s size, it’s not uncommon to perform well at the amateur level but plateau moving forward. Look to see if Celentano can answer nuanced questions within the position and be more than just a big goalkeeper moving forward.

Freshmen

1. Luis Ludosan (St. Joseph's, Romania)
2. Lorenzo Gordon (American)
3. Cyrus Margono (Kentucky)
4. Leon Musial (UNC Asheville, Germany)
5. Emil Larsen (Wofford, Denmark)
6. Josue Hangi (Akron)
7. Alex Bobocea (Loyola, MD)
8. Owen Elliott (Penn State)
9. Ryan Schewe (Georgetown)
10. Brandon Keniston (San Francisco)

One to Watch: Cyrus Margono. What’s in store for the future of Kentucky’s goalkeeping core is anybody’s guess. The Wildcats rotated three goalkeepers this season, including redshirt freshman Cyrus Margono, who transferred out of the University of Denver to join Kentucky. Although Margono only picked up one win in his three appearances, he played about as good as one could hope a 19-year-old stepping in for a top 25 school would. Margono possesses the athleticism and poise to take over the starting position but Kentucky saw success with sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Troutman in net, going 7-2-1 (W-T-L) over the ten games. Margono didn’t transfer to sit on the bench but Kentucky is well prepared to move forward in the post-Enrique Facusse era with two talented goalkeepers. Keep an eye out for who emerges as the top goalkeeper in Lexington.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2020: Preseason
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final