End of Year NCAA Goalkeeper Rankings - Women's 2015

cover photo belongs to Scott Sommerdorf

Welcome to Everybody Soccer's first annual End of Year NCAA Goalkeeper Rankings for the women's college game. There are highlights listed for most of the seniors and a couple of juniors so feel free to see what the next wave of professional goalkeepers might look like. The NWSL draft kicks off January 15th and any of the seniors have a good chance of being selected.

While these are forty good goalkeepers, it's hard to catch each goalkeeper for the 333 programs. If you think I'm missing one, please drop me a line and I'll try to track down some video of them.

 

Seniors

1. Rachelle Beanlands (Canadian, Maryland) - 22
2. Lindsey Luke (Utah) - 23
3. Alyssa Giannetti (Cal Poly) - 21
4. Britt Eckerstrom (Penn State) - 22
5. Kathryn Scheele (Colorado) - 21
6. Bryane Heaberlin (North Carolina) - 22
7. Caroline Casey (William & Mary) - 21
8. Abby Smith (Texas) - 22
9. Megan Kufeld (Washington) - 22
10. Andi Tostanoski (Santa Clara) - 21

Bill says: Canadian youth national team member Rachelle Beanlands tops the list. She spent time with the Laval Comets, which most recently played in the now deceased W-League. Utah's Lindsey Luke probably has the strongest hands in the college game (watch highlights to see for yourself). Britt Eckerstrom won the W-League's Goalkeeper of the Year award for leading her team to the final in the W-League and also won the National Championship with Penn State. Scheele, Heaberlin, Smith, and Kufeld all share USYNT experience while Caroline Casey was named first team All-American.

Juniors

1. Jane Campbell (Stanford) - 20
2. Holly Van Noord (Liberty) - 21
3. Tarah Hobbs (Minnesota) - 20
4. Taylor Francis (Pittsburgh) - 20
5. Lauren Watson (Texas Tech) - 22
6. Katie Nickles (Rhode Island) - 20
7. Hannah Seabert (Pepperdine) - 20
8. Ashton McKeown (Long Beach State) - 21
9. Sammy Jo Prudhomme (USC) - 21
10. Lizzie Durack (English, Harvard) - 21

Bill says: Six goalkeepers carry over from September's rankings although Campbell is good enough that it's not inconceivable to see her skip her senior year if the right offer came along. Lauren Watson finished second behind Abby Smith (senior, Texas) in Big 12 honors. USC and Prudhomme look to build on last year's up and down season that ended in the round of 16.

Sophomore

1. Kaylyn Smith (Virginia Tech) - 19
2. Lexi Nicholas (Notre Dame) - 19
3. Kat Elliott (South Florida) - 20
4. Megan Hinz (Michigan) - 20
5. EJ Proctor (Duke) - 19
6. Erika Yohn (Purdue) - 19
7. Katie Hatziyianis (Binghamton) - 19
8. Cassidy Babin (Massachusetts) - 19
9. Nevena Stojokovic (Serbian, Florida International) - 20
10. Emily Boyd (California) - 19

Bill says: Proctor was a large part of Duke reaching the national championship this year and she's only going to be better next year. Lexi Nicholas split time for the Irish so while her numbers are down in comparison to Elliott, who started all twenty-two games for the Bulls, she's still on track to hearing her name called in a NWSL draft a few years down the line.

Freshmen

1. Sarah Le Beau (Auburn) - 19
2. Lainey Burdett (Arizona) - 19
3. Kaelyn Johns (Dayton) - 18
4. Ella Dederick (Washington State) - 19
5. Devon Kerr (Ohio State) - 18
6. Nonie Frishette (Wake Forest) - 18
7. Amanda Poertner (Idaho) - 19
8. Olivia Swenson (North Dakota) - 18
9. Kelsey Ponder (Arkansas State) - 18
10. Julia Schneider (Massachusetts-Lowell) - 19

Bill says: Admittedly, there are names truly flying under the radar here while some USYNT products that didn't even make the list. However, each goalkeeper had a positive impact on their programs. From players like Le Beau (second team All-SEC) or Ella Dederick (spent time with the U20s earlier this year) to lesser known ones like Ponder and Schneider, each one will get a shot at a bigger stage next fall.

Related

End of Year NCAA Goalkeeper Rankings - Men's 2015

cover photo belongs to David Jablonski

It's been a great season for goalkeepers everywhere. Let's take a look at where goalkeepers landed this year and how many stayed from the preseason rankings back in July. We'll be following up with a post on the women's side of things soon. Feel free to look back to see how far we've come.

Seniors

1. Zach Bennett (Michigan State) - 22
2. Paul Blanchette (Loyola Marymount) - 21
3. Matt Bersano (Penn State) - 23
4. Ashkan Khosravi (UC Riverside) - 21
5. Wade Hamilton (Cal Poly) - 21
6. Michael Breslin (UC Irvine) - 21
7. Nathan Ingham (Canadian, Florida Gulf Coast) - 22
8. Lucas Champenois (Saint Mary's) - 21
9. Connor Sparrow (Creighton) - 21
10. Chris Froschauer (Ohio State) - 21

Bill says: The top four almost stay identical and six of the ten goalkeepers stayed. Blanchette was named All-Conference along with Froschauer (Big Ten) but none of the top eight goalkeepers went to the national tournament, oddly enough. Some of the goalkeepers (Bersano, Hamilton, Irving) have MLS connections but the rest will have to put some leg work into getting noticed by scouts.

Juniors

1. Eric Klenofsky (Monmouth) - 21
2. Alec Ferrell (Wake Forest) - 21
3. Ricky Brown (Colgate) - 20
4. Grayson Rector (Belmont) - 21
5. Nick Ciraldo (Cleveland State) - 20
6. Andrew Tarbell (Clemson) - 22
7. Andrew Epstein (Stanford) - 19
8. Andrew Putna (UIC) - 21
9. David Greczek (Rutgers) - 21
10. Alex Gill (Cincinnati) - 21

Bill says: The list is topped by honorary Monmouth Bench mobster, Eric Klenofsky. (Oh and he was also named MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year.) Nine goalkeepers return from the July rankings as Gill jumps into the mix. Not every goalkeeper earned a postseason award, but keep an on these ones moving forward.

Sophomores

1. Jeff Caldwell (Virginia) - 19
2. Ben Lundgaard (Virginia Tech) - 20
3. Paul Christensen (Portland) - 19
4. Evan Louro (Michigan) - 19
5. Bobby Edwards (Saint Joseph's) - 19
6. Pierre Gardan (French, VCU) - 20
7. Brad Seeber (Lafayette) - 19
8. Michael Nelson (SMU) - 20
9. Adrian Remeniuk (Wisconsin) - 20
10. Cameron Hogg (New Zealander, Buffalo) - 20

Bill says: U20 backup goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell leads the pack, followed by Evan Louro, who may or may not return to Michigan next year with professional teams knocking on the door. The list includes some international flare with little known Gardan and Hogg, who should be good enough for MLS but could end up going back home.

Freshmen

1. JT Marcinkowski (Georgetown) - 18
2. Justin Vom Steeg (UC Santa Barbara) - 18
3. Arie Ammann (Penn State) - 19
4. Luis Barraza (Marquette) - 19
5. Austin Aviza (Syracuse) - 18
6. Sam Copp (New Zealander, Western Illinois) - 18
7. Colin Hanley (Niagara) - 19
8. Jonathan Klinsmann (California) - 18
9. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State) - 18
10. Tucker Schneider (SIUE) - 18

Bill says: Georgetown great season can be credited to their freshmen goalkeeper, JT Marcinkowski, who stormed onto the scene. Youngsters Barraza, Copp, Hanley, and Klinsmann all fared well in their respective schools. Arie Ammann sat out this fall so expect to see him back on the list next year. Ohio State is losing their senior goalkeeper so the spot is Siegfried's to lose now.

High School

1. Kevin Silva (UCLA) - 17
2. William Pulisic (Duke) - 17
3. Andrew Romig (North Carolina) - 17
4. Jake Gelnovatch (Louisville) - 18
5. Noah Heim (Marquette) - 17
6. Sam Loeffler (Elon) - 17
7. Andrew Verdi (Michigan) - 17
8. Ben Hale (Furman) - 17
9. Zachary Nelson (Xavier) - 17
10. Duncan Werling (UCLA) - 17

Bill says: U17 goalkeepers (Silva and Pulisic) top the list but this early on the order is incredibly flexible. UCLA is known for their goalkeepers and after a rough year they're excited for Silva and Werling to boost morale.  Of the group, Pulisic, Gelnovatch, and Loeffler have the best shot at starting.

Related

2016 MLS SuperDraft Preview

Each year the MLS draft gets a little more super. Yes, obviously I am talking about the league's interest in drafting goalkeepers. Last year we saw a record high nine goalkeepers drafted over four rounds. Everyone was cheering and strangers on the street were kissing one another. It was a great time. But before we get into this year's crop, let's look at last year's seniors and where they ended up.

1. Adam Grinwis (Michigan) - 22 - USL
2. Patrick Wall (Notre Dame) - 23 - retired
3. Alex Bono (Syracuse) - 20 - drafted, loaned to USL
4. Spencer Richey (Washington) - 22 - drafted, signed with respective USL club
5. Andrew Wolverton (Penn State) - 21 - drafted, MLS
6. Tyler Miller (Northwestern) - 21 - drafted, opted for Germany.4, returned to USL
7. Charlie Lyon (Marquette) - 22 - drafted, loaned to USL, some backup in MLS
8. Ben Lockler (Virginia Tech) - 21 - unknown
9. Brendan Moore (North Carolina) - 22 - signed with England.2
10. Earl Edwards (UCLA) - 23 - drafted, MLS

11. Oliver Brown (Denver) - 22 - unknown
12. Travis Worra (New Hampshire) - 21 - undrafted, signed MLS, loaned to USL
13. Greg Ranjitsingh (Mercer, Canadian) - 21 - USL
14. Tomas Gomez (Georgetown) - 21 - drafted, MLS
15. Nathan Dean (Elon, English) - 23 - unknown
16. Waleed Cassis (Buffalo, Canadian) - 22 - NASL
17. Winston Boldt (Army) - 22 - military commitment
18. Wilson Fisher (Duke) - 23 - unknown
19. Andre Rawls (Saint Mary's) - 23 - drafted, loaned to USL
20. Justin Taillole (California) - 23 - unknown

I haven't been shy about MLS's laughable track record when it comes to drafting goalkeepers. (To be fair, it doesn't seem like MLS is alone in struggling to recognize goalkeeping talent.) However, I think they got it right in 2015. Of the nine drafted goalkeepers, eight were in my top 20 and the only one who wasn't eventually got cut by their MLS team. And fourteen of the twenty goalkeepers listed above ended up with a club. So all-in-all, the draft was a success.

Oddly enough, we had a variety of goalkeepers go undrafted last year as well. From Travis Worra, who ended up getting first team minutes with DC United, to Tyler Miller, who was technically drafted but snubbed Seattle for fourth division Germany, last year's goalkeeper class turned out to be a hard act to follow.

Based off this year's combine list, there is still a gap between MLS and college scouting. Perhaps the organizers of the MLS combine are not on the same page as MLS scouts. Or perhaps last year was just a fluke. Either way, the selection of goalkeepers consistently seems to parallel superficial awards or team accomplishments, not actual quality of the goalkeepers. Hopefully last year was a turning point for MLS but the proof will be in MLS's next combine and draft selections.

Here are the top twenty goalkeepers heading into the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Players in bold are eligible to be drafted.

1. Zach Bennett (Michigan State) - 22 *
2. Paul Blanchette (Loyola Marymount) - 21
3. Matt Bersano (Penn State) - 23 *
4. Ashkan Khosravi (UC Riverside) - 22
5. Wade Hamilton (Cal Poly) - 21 #*
6. Michael Breslin (UC Irvine) - 22
7. Nathan Ingham (Canadian, Florida Gulf Coast) - 22
8. Lucas Champenois (Saint Mary's) - 21
9. Connor Sparrow (Creighton) - 21 #*
10. Chris Froschauer (Ohio State) - 22

11. Callum Irving (Canadian, Kentucky) - 22 #*
12. Sven Lissek (German, Furman) - 22 #*
13. Mike Kirk (La Salle) - 22
14. Jackson Morgan (Navy) - 22
15. Austin Pack (Charlotte) - 21
16. Shane Haworth (Seattle) - 23
17. Brenden Alfery (Robert Morris) - 21
18. Dan Lynd (Pittsburgh) - 21
19. Mike Lansing (Bucknell) - 21
20. Matt Turner (Fairfield) - 22
 xx. Ryan Herman (Seattle) - 22 #*

# - invited to MLS combine
* - top seven most likely to be drafted

Like last year, teams are looking to fill USL slots again. I don't think we'll hit nine again but seven seems a strong possibility. I've marked the seven most likely to be drafted with an asterisk. Clearly the five combine goalkeepers are in the running and Bersano and Bennett have the pedigree to earn a draft spot. Where can we expect these goalkeepers to land?

  1. Houston Dynamo - Have added a USL squad for 2016
  2. Sporting Kansas City - Have added a USL squad for 2016
  3. Chicago Fire - Only one goalkeeper, Sean Johnson, on the roster.
  4. Orlando City - Have added a USL squad for 2016
  5. Philadelphia Union - Have added a USL squad for 2016
  6. DC United - Recently didn't re-sign Dykstra and USL affiliate Richmond Kickers have one goalkeeper on the roster
  7. Toronto FC - Only two goalkeepers on the MLS/USL squads but they need veterans, not more youth

If a goalkeeper isn't selected, he can surely find a roster spot somewhere with recent NASL and USL expansion. However, like we saw with National Champion Pat Wall, the Notre Dame goalkeeper struggled to find any serious offers and decided to pursue other options. American soccer is growing but the bottom feeders are still fighting to survive.

Update December 24th: Andrew Tarbell, Clemson's junior goalkeeper, has signed a Generation Adidas contract. Barring some unforeseen event, Tarbell will be selected in the 2016 draft.

 

Related:

Santiago Castaño: Outstanding or Overrated?

Everybody Soccer is back with a second edition of "outstanding or overrated" after reviewing Bill Hamid's approach earlier this year. I had trouble thinking of a new title so here we are. Now it's a reoccurring theme.

Santiago Castaño is likely best known to US fans for his last minute switching to Colombia, just ahead of the 2015 U20 World Cup. Castaño had spent much time with the US's U20 program, predominantly as the backup to Zack Steffen. Even though he attended a Colombian camp ahead of the announcement, several fans were still shocked to hear his change of mind when he basically had a ticket punched to the 2015 U20 World Cup with the US. Even more confusing, he would not make the roster for Colombia and ended up being left at home by both countries. For more information about Castaño's switch, read this translated interview with Facundo Trotta.

Outside of the international stage, Castaño spent this year with New York Red Bulls II, earning twenty starts in the regular season and a trip to the quarterfinals, where they lost 2-0 to the eventual champions. Let's take a closer look at this last season to break down his strengths and weaknesses. US Prospects was kind enough to have made a highlight video for the Colombian-American goalkeeper back in April.

Strengths

Castaño possess a fierce mindset as well as quick reactions and above average distribution. He is not afraid to attack on a 1v1. He showcases an above average side volley and good throws from his hands. He strongly favors his left foot in kicking and generally knows how to locate a teammate in a positive space. He has good experience on the youth international stage and skipped the college route to join the New York Red Bulls, a system that has done good job of developing young goalkeepers.

Weaknesses

There are quite a few worrying issues with Castaño's play. First, while he is listed as 6'2", he most definitely is not. 

On the left, he is walking away form Mike da Font (6'0.5"). On the right, he is standing next to Konrad Plewa (6’3”) and Colin Heffron (6'0") is the blonde player the next one down. Castaño is most definitely not over six feet tall and could possibly be 5'11". Yes, you can be a short goalkeeper and become a professional, but there is a reason why there are more goalkeepers taller than six feet instead of shorter.

Additionally, Castaño does not display the explosiveness you'd like to see from a short goalkeeper. In the 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh, he concedes three goals that all could have been saved had he had more explosiveness in his spring.

On the opening laser, he can only rotate for the shot he is clearly unprepared for. Notice how his right leg is receiving much more spring than his left. His left knee doesn't move that far vertically and the right leg is recoiling more from the power. The overpowering motion from his back leg gives Castaño's body movement a teeter effect (as seen with how high his right left comes off the ground). The movement is similar to goalkeeping great Oliver Kahn, although not unique to the German, but Kahn pushed off equally with each foot to create the needed lift that comes with getting his body so parallel to the ground. (I wrote more about Kahn's technique here.) The next two goals are within Castaño's grasp but the dive doesn't come from a bigger issue.

I have not been quiet on my distaste of Howard's wide stance and Castaño gives us another example why it's not a good idea. His set position, one that is routinely slow and late to occur, is employing a wide stance that does not allow him to step towards the ball when it is shot unless he rearranges his feet, which happened on the first goal when he stepped away from the ball with his lead foot.

It's a huge jump to get set and when he finally does, the ball is half way to him and his feet are too wide for him to step towards the ball. All he can do is roll backwards, which is what he does. If he is in time with the shot and in a position to actually move towards the ball, he can make the save instead of stare at the ball hitting the net. A very similar situation happens on the next goal.

There's more to say about Castaño. His wide stance kills his lateral movement and his post-to-post time is slow. He opens up his five-hole too much. (He's megged in the Wilmington game, video above, as well as Richmond fairly easily.) He is on his heels far too often. His 1v1 approach is wild and not intended to play percentages while utilizing some hybrid of a crab stance while he waits for players to get closer (see red card in Wilmington game). He's not particularly great in the air. He also is very reluctant to use his right foot for distribution.

Conclusion

Cody Cropper has shown us how hard it is to develop with bad mechanics. Can it be done? Sure, but it's not likely. For Castaño to continue to grow, he needs to revamp his entire approach to the game. His time with the USYNT means nothing. Several goalkeepers have gone through the USYNT scene only to amount to journeymen backups and that's the path Castaño is on if something doesn't change soon. While twenty sounds young, he has been playing a certain way for some time now. He is becoming less moldable and some of his peers - sophomores in college - are already ahead of him.