Preseason NCAA Goalkeeper Rankings - Men's 2016

Seniors

1. Eric Klenofsky (Monmouth) - 21.9
2. Alec Ferrell (Wake Forest) - 22.4
3. Grayson Rector (Belmont) - 22
4. Alex McCauley (NC State) - 22
5. Kyle Ihn (Green Bay) - 21.7
6. Ricky Brown (Colgate) - 21.6
7. David Greczek (Rutgers) - 21.8
8. Andrew Putna (UIC) - 21.8
9. Alex Gill (Cincinnati) - 22.3
10. Logan Keys (LIU Brooklyn) - 22.2

What to watch for: It's an odd senior class as most of the goalkeepers are playing for smaller schools and only two made the tournament last year. But MLS hasn't shied away from smaller schools so that shouldn't hurt their draft chances per se. That said, Klenofsky and Ferrell lead their class as the main frontrunners. Further down the list, Ihn (Kokomo), Greczek (RBNY), and Putna (Chicago) may not have the publicity as the others but still stayed sharp with their PDL teams.

Juniors

1. Jeff Caldwell (Virginia) - 20.5
2. Bobby Edwards (Saint Joseph's) - 21
3. Ben Lundgaard (Virginia Tech) - 20.9
4. Michael Nelson (SMU) - 21.5
5. Paul Christensen (Portland) - 20.3
6. Andrew Epstein (Stanford) - 20.6
7. Evan Louro (Michigan) - 20.6
8. Pierre Gardan (VCU) - 21.5
9. Cameron Hogg (Buffalo) - 21.1
10. Adrian Remeniuk (Wisconsin) - 20.7

What to watch for: It's hard to miss 6'6" goalkeeper Bobby Edwards but several of these goalkeepers are coming back from spending their summer in the PDL. Michael Nelson did well in OKC, Louro was with the Red Bulls, Remeniuk returned to the Fire, and Caldwell and Christensen went up northwest to the Sounders' PDL squad. Epstein was not in the spotlight at Stanford last year - due to a certain striker up top - but he will look to carry more responsibility as they're defend their national championship.

Sophomores

1. JT Marcinkowski (Georgetown) - 19.3
2. Justin Vom Steeg (UC Santa Barbara) - 19.3
3. Luis Barraza (Marquette) - 19.8
4. Austin Aviza (Syracuse) - 19.5
5. Colin Hanley (Xavier) - 19.8
6. Sam Copp (Western Illinois) - 19.3
7. Jonathan Klinsmann (California) - 19.5
8. Elliott Rubio (Utah Valley) - 20
9. Jacob Jordan (Drexel) - 20.6
10. Ben Willis (Gonzaga) - 20.6

What to watch for: JTM, Vom Steeg, and Klinsmann lead the pack in notoriety as they've all spent time with the U20s but the rest of the class can hold their own. Rubio transfers from Akron and is hoping to lead Utah Valley back to the tournament again. Aviza will have a hard time topping last year's final four run and could split time in goal again. Hanley and Copp might be at small schools but they could end up pushing their programs' further into November than expected.

Freshmen

1. Arie Ammann (Penn State) - 19.8
2. Kevin Silva (UCLA) - 18.6
3. Trevor Wilson (DePaul) - 18.8
4. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State) - 19.5
5. Sawyer Gaffney (Davidson) - 19.3
6. Andrew Romig (North Carolina) - 18.4
7. Jake Gelnovatch (Louisville) - 19.4
8. Ben Hale (Furman) - 18.6
9. Jacob Rooth (Pittsburgh) - 19.3
10. Carter Richardson (Columbia) - 20

What to watch for: Not Will Pulisic going to Duke, unfortunately for college fans. The 18 year old heads to Dortmund with his cousin for the fall. As for the others, it's always tricky with freshmen because we never know who is going to get on the field. How will Ammann look after sitting out a year? Could UCLA look to fix goalkeeping woes with a freshmen? Will Pittsburgh turn to the recent transfer to rebound from a tough season? Keep an eye for the ten, whether it's this year or next.

Haley Kopmeyer Interview: Fourth Year Pro Earning Her Place

cover photo belongs to Seattle Reign FC

Already in her short career, Seattle Reign goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer has made a name for herself in goal. In her second year, she led Seattle on a 16 game unbeaten streak, winning thirteen of the games. Last year she started eleven games for Seattle and was a top goalkeeper in Australia's W-League with the Brisbane Roar. Haley talks about her time with Seattle, training under Hope Solo, and her focus moving forward.

You graduated from the University of Michigan after being with the program for five years. During your time there, you experienced several ups and downs. What stands out looking back at your time? How do you hold the good and bad moments in your memory?

I think my final season really stands out because it was the product of so much work and struggle. I came in with the new coaching staff. We rebuilt the program together and I stood in net as we were bottom of the Big Ten all the way to national contenders. Overall, I'm grateful for how hard we had to all work to rebuild the program because it made the end result that much more gratifying. 

After graduation, you were selected in the fourth round by the Seattle Reign but you've mentioned how you weren't expecting to get drafted. How were you dealing with making the jump to the professional game? Was this something you were intent on achieving or was it a little more on the back burner for you?

After graduation I got a job and was studying to take the LSATs. I think in some ways I had mentally prepared myself to move on but kept struggling with the idea that it was really over. Getting drafted was my sign that my time wasn't up. 

You also talked a lot about Seattle Reign's goalkeeper coach Ben Dragavon working with your movement. If you could coach a young goalkeeper to not develop bad habits with their movement, what specific would you work with them on?

One thing Ben works with us on - and I try to pass on to my keepers - is not taking giants steps that shift our balance to a place that makes goalkeeping harder than it needs to be. If your step on a dive is too big it becomes difficult to push and move quickly.

Not many goalkeepers get to work alongside with the best goalkeeper in the world right out of college. What did you learn from working with Hope Solo that has influenced your game today?

It truly is a honor to come out and train each day with Hope. She is fantastic and is always trying to get better. Hope will watch film to see what she could do better and then go out and perfect whatever it is she thinks needs to be better. Goalkeeping is always evolving and she stays ahead of the game.

Last winter you spent time in Australia with the Brisbane Roar in between NWSL seasons. As only a few players made a similar move as you, what prompted the move? And do you expect to see more players try their hand in Australia or is more of an isolated instance?

I had gotten my feet the off season before playing in Cyprus and knew I wanted to play again. For me it's a chance to get more games and explore the world. I started contacting teams in Australia about the prospect of playing and was fortunate that one panned out. I would absolutely go there (or anywhere!) again. I figure at some point people will stop paying me to kick balls and travel cool places so I may as well take advantage of it now. *laughs*

The NWSL has recently been under fire after the field quality of the Western New York game, where the 18 yard box was maybe a yard or two from the end line. Your teammate Hope Solo put out a post detailing some larger issues with the league. As someone who's played in multiple leagues and seen how it's done overseas, where is women's soccer in America suffering? And what needs to be addressed immediately?

There certainly has been a microscope put on the league since this incident. I think in a lot of ways it was the straw that broke the camels back as far as cutting corners goes for certain clubs and highlights the discrepancy in standards between them. I think there needs to be more checks and balances in place to ensure player safety. I'm lucky to play for a club where the owners are willing to bend over backwards to ensure certain standards are met. The same goes for many MLS-backed clubs. I think there needs to be clearer minimum standards. If clubs aren't willing to spend the money to, at a minimum, take care of the players, they shouldn't be in the league. Maybe that's harsh but it's what it will take for the league to be the best in the world. I don't think we are far off. There are a lot of positives - academies, attendance records, elite players from all over the world - just the overall standard needs to be met by all clubs.

You were injured in the WNY game but the camera angle on the play made it look like you rolled your ankle or just tripped on your own player. What exactly happened on the play and where are you on your rehab?

I suffered a high ankle sprain on the play. I played last weekend and am still rehabbing heavily to get it healthier for next weekend.

As Solo turns 35 later this month, some are already pointing to you as one of the possible replacements for her down the line. How does a player go about handling hearing rumors or expectations like that? Is it simply a distraction you try to block out or is it a goal you're working towards?

I don't know what Hope will do and I think for me it's not something I should think about. She and I have a great working relationship and while her plans may impact what I do down he line, right now I am fully committed to Seattle and my role within the team. I'm trying to soak up every chance I can to learn from her.

Last question, I remember watching a video where you were recording your game day prep and somehow I think you got lost walking to the stadium? When can we expect to see more videos where you're wandering around with a GoPro?

*laughs* I'll have to check with the video team. Nothing currently in the works for the GoPro however I'm going to go shoot hoops with some Storm players next month. We will see how that goes.

College Soccer Makes It to the Big Screen

Everybody Soccer dives deep into unexplored regions of American soccer fandom with this interview. Earlier this year someone created uniforms for college soccer teams - some of which don't actually have varsity teams - and not only posted them online, but also made a trailer for the game. The kits can be downloaded on PES for PS4, and can be seen here in detail.

You've created a pretty nifty project by incorporating college teams into PES. Elaborate on that process. What inspired the project?

Well the project came about when I got PES the first time a couple years ago. Thanks to PES's edit mode I was able to create the teams that weren't there and I'd include some MLS and NASL teams and around PES 2008, as a joke I decided to create UCLA, UVA and Akron, three powerhouses in college soccer. When you go online you can find guides and pre-made kits for almost all the leagues, but not the NCAA.

It really kicked into high gear though, about three years ago when NCAA Football 14 was to become the final installment of the series due to the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit. Now there was a huge void, so I began creating SEC and Big 12 schools (non-soccer conferences) and it slowly grew as each new PES allowed more and more detail. As of right now, I have about 80 teams done with many more to come. I'm open to suggestions.

How does someone go about about creating uniforms for college teams, some of which don't even have soccer programs?

Each kit has about a half days worth of research. I look up the school and find their seal, athletic logo, nickname and see how much I can look into their school traditions or what's important to them. Little touches make this project feel special. To add realism I added things like making sure each school had their correct athletic kit manufacturer (Nike, Adidas etc). Most kits have a faded retro logo on their back. Boston College has a "Boston Strong" ribbon. Alabama has faded houndstooth all around. UNC has their classic basketball pattern down the shorts. Ohio State has the football "buckeye" sticker. Nebraska's captain armband is.... corn. I love trying to make each kit seem like it was made by a fan of each school.

And how does someone make a trailer for a game featuring teams that don't exist?

Making the trailer was a bit of a process too since I had to apply the kits and film a handful of games with EVERY team to ensure good clips and variety. It was pretty cool piecing it together with the College GameDay theme, and I actually got pretty pumped when I was finished.

What was the feedback you got on this? Any negative feedback?

I've only just put out the kits, so I haven't heard much feedback. So far all of the reddit comments have been positive so I think there's interest for something like this. It does make me a bit sad that I finally finished my initial teams as the lifespan of PES 2016 is coming to it's end. My only hope is that PES 2017 will have a similar kit input system. But if not, I'm prepared to adapt and update each one.

You used PES instead of FIFA, which I'm assuming is easier to create teams for?

Yes, PES has long had a distinct advantage over FIFA in the customization department. Since PES lacks many of the licenses to large clubs (most notably, the Premiership), they have a long tradition of having editable teams that most users turn into the Bundesliga, MLS, J-League or others. FIFA used to have a "Creation Centre" which was online and I dabbled in it for a while, but it had many limitations and was not brought into next gen consoles. Rumors are that PES 2017 will allow file sharing, so that may make spreading college spirit even easier!

The obvious question is when can we play with the teams? Can users make their own adjustments after downloading them, or are they set as is?

Right now, PES 2016 has a number of league with fictional clubs and all generic fictional players and all you really have to do is save the kit images on this page, to a thumb drive, plug it into your PS4, and download them into the game. PES allows you to alter the pitch, club name, banners and lineups all in game. (For whatever reason, Xbox is not very friendly in general to usb sticks and data sharing.) Users can edit the players to reflect the real life rosters of their school or create a lineup from scratch. The possibilities are endless.

(For more info on uploading kits, watch this video).

What are you working on now?

Right now I'm working on making kits for some of the schools that actually have soccer teams but not huge presences in the football world (which I've mostly finished). So schools like UCSB, Charlotte, William & Mary, UC Irvine, Wake Forest, etc. At this very moment I'm trying to finish the ACC.

What are you plans for future projects?

One of the things I'm trying to do is create retro kits for teams that do (or did) exist, like one of Jorge Campos or David Seaman's crazy outfits, or the 94 demin kits, Manchester United's Newton Heath kit or the NY Cosmos from the 70s.

What's a dream goal of yours?

My dream right now is to get a job working with college soccer in the US. It seems like a fascinating world that is kind of in an odd position right now. Many of the USSF see it as a hindrance to the soccer development of the nation, while others see it as a great weapon if only a few aspects where changed. I feel as the country becomes more acquainted with soccer, the college game will have to adapt or be left behind.

My dream of dreams would be the SEC picking up men's soccer! If it could find an audience, it would be a game-changer as that conference has so much money and so many crazy fans that want to win, win, win.

Lastly, where can people find you online to stay in touch with your work?

You can find me on twitter @RTRtheChief, I'm a recent graduate of the University of Alabama (no men's soccer, sad) and freelance graphic design and videography. If anyone has any requests for a college, I'm more than happy to give it a shot. Just let me know what things are special to you school and I'll try to incorporate as much as possible.

Most of the teams' kits have been uploaded to the Facebook page, which you can see here.

Breaking Down Hope Solo's 100 Shutouts

Hope Solo recently earned her 100th shutout in a 1-0 win against South Africa, making her the first goalkeeper ever to earn 100 clean sheets for their country, both on the and women's or men's side. Solo first represented the US in 2000 against Iceland and earned a shutout in her first match. Sixteen years and a total of 197 appearances down the road, she has entered unbreached territory that likely won't be matched for a long time.

It's hard to say who is even second on the list. Norway's retired goalkeeper Bente Nordby earned 172 caps and Gemma Fay, Scotland's current starting goalkeeper at 34 years old, is at 162. But neither federation has shutout stats for the goalkeepers although they are surely above 50. Brianna Scurry is our best guess, with 71 shutouts in 173 appearances. Even on the men's side, I couldn't find a solid number. It looks like Iker Casillas is still the leader, after passing Edwin Van der Sar in 2012. Casillas is likely around 80 clean sheets now with 167 caps.

Admittedly, I was curious about the stats behind Solo's record. It's not uncommon to see Solo waltz through a game with zero saves. Even in the 2015 World Cup, where she was named the best goalkeeper in the tournament, she only made fifteen saves over seven games. Tim Howard made more saves than that in just one game last World Cup. So how active was Solo in these 100 shutouts? Or did she just take goal kicks against weak opponents over the course of her streak?

First off, it should be stated that goalkeeper stats are abysmal. Shutouts are given to goalkeepers but clearly it's a team stat. You wouldn't say a center in basketball is good because their team's points allowed per game is low. When you dive in a little more, you're lucky find anything more than saves. Even with those, it's not uncommon that they're counting shots that weren't on target (see: Howard's previously mentioned game). On top of that, you never know how tough the shots were in a game. They could simply be softballs from distance or game changing saves. We don't know. So while I have a distaste for goalkeeping stats, saves and shutouts are what we have to work with. I put together a document on Solo's 197 caps, detailed with goals and saves when available. The numbers in red are not confirmed and are a guess on my end.

Looking at the doc, the first dark purple column is the current FIFA rank of the opposition. To be honest, I didn't want to go back through month-by-month and find the exact rating. Those numbers are likely not too far off from what that team was ranked at the time but if anyone wants to go through and find each ranking, be my guest. Using those numbers, Solo played against the 16th best team in the world on average. Her shutouts average out against the 18th best team. (For some cross-comparison, the USMNT finished 15th after the 2014 World Cup.) Judging by these numbers, the competition wasn't an issue for Solo, although her save numbers are a little low.

Of the 197 games, I could find an exact save number for 119 games. Most of the games I couldn't get a report for (the ones I could find are linked in the doc) or if Solo split time, I didn't know which saves belonged to her. Using those 119 games, US Soccer dot com says she saved 286 shots and was scored on 64 times. This gives her a 77.6% save percentage and 2.4 saves per game. In comparison, NWSL averages around four saves a game. I should add that, again, even though I don't like save percentages for the reasons listed above, she is very high for a typical save percentage. Luis Robles won MLS's Goalkeeper of the Year last year with a 65.6% save percentage, and only one starter ended up over 75% in 2015. If we lowball Solo with two saves a game for games we don't know exactly how many she had (or just one, if she only played a half) she still comes out with 76.1% and over 400 career saves.

Solo's cap count is hard to accurately process as well. While her 197 is more than any on the men's side, it's still just over half of Kristine Lilly's 352. Part of this is credit to the national team playing so many games, even if it was erratically.

(2016 should finish closer to 20-25.)

To help us get a better grip on her cap count we can look at a post from a couple years ago where I took a closer look at what 100 caps meant for the USMNT. To level the field, I created a simple stat that said playing 40% of the available games in a player's career should equal the equivalent of 100 caps. For players who didn't get a chance at 100 games, this would bump up their cap count significantly and also pull down players' totals who had an abundance of games to play. For Solo, her Weighted Cap Total (WCT) comes out to 131, dropping from 197. Essentially Solo had several more chances to get to 100 caps than other players, but that she still cleared the 100 threshold when her numbers were weighted. You can see several USWNT players on the second tab of the google doc.

Looking back on Solo's shutout achievement, it's best to view it by weighing both sides of the scale evenly. First, the USWNT have always been very good during Solo's tenure. The goal differential for Solo's shutouts is 2.71, and that's including 0-0 ties, which only happened nine times. She had a great defense in front of her and that definitely aided her. On the other hand, Solo clearly was really, really, really good. Her stats don't indicate that she lounged out in the sun for 90 minutes a game. She only had 10 clean sheets where she didn't make a save. And she was known to make some spectacular saves from time to time.

Even now with her turning 35 later this month, she's going to start for the best team in the world at the Olympics. Old age is settling in but she will most likely win another gold medal as the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

Nicole Corrochano does a good job of recapping Solo's record, "The 100-shutout milestone achieved stands for more than just a world record; it also signifies the dedication to the partnership between Solo and the national team as well as her relentless pursuit to be the best ever." The achievement is more of a confirmation for what we've always known about Solo: she was the best. And yes, to be fair, her stats are padded by playing on the best team in the world and getting so many opportunities to play for the US that other players don't. Corrochano also doesn't shy away from Solo's off the field issues that unfortunately will be an asterisk on her career. Solo is a polarizing player to many but at the end of the day, she'll be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers to suit up for the US and a standard for the rest of the world.

Photo belongs to AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh