NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Spring 2021)

Seniors

1. Emily Alvarado (TCU, Mexico)
2. Sydney Schneider (UNC Wilmington, Jamaica) #
3. Hillary Beall (Michigan)
4. Emma Roccaforte (McNeese State)
5. Kelsee Winston (Eastern Washington)
6. Brooke Littman (Kentucky)
7. Lauren Gallagher (Georgetown)
8. Lysianne Proulx (Syracuse, Canada)
9. Laurel Ivory (Virginia)
10. Claire Howard (Montana)

# - Sydney Schneider was drafted by the Washington Spirit in the 2021 NWSL Draft.

One to Watch: Laurel Ivory. Ivory is winding down her collegiate career on a polarizing note. On one hand, she clearly has the prestige, bravery, and confidence one needs to excel at the next level. Ivory started all four years for the University of Virginia, compiling a 48-10-15 (W-T-L) record in her time with the Cavaliers. Additionally, Ivory isn’t short of USYNT experience, starting for the U20s and U17s in the 2018 and 2016 World Cups, respectively. However, Ivory’s resume contains some blank spots as she’s yet to move beyond the Sweet Sixteen in postseason action and an unfortunate soft goal against Spain ultimately cost the U20s’ their chance of exiting the group stage in 2018.

Ivory’s game is built of quick footwork and willingness to put her body on the line. While this can lead to some exciting moments, this can also complicate situations as she’s been caught running after shots instead of pairing efficient footwork with an explosive dive. Tack on questions about her crossing and handling skills, Ivory nears the professional game with question marks about transitioning smoothly. Ivory has yet to reach the Final Four so we could see her return next fall to get one more chance at it, but NWSL teams will undoubtedly be interested in this senior goalkeeper with so much USYNT experience. If she can clean up some of the fundamentals and make that elusive, deep tournament run, look for Ivory to rewrite the narrative in the upcoming weeks.

Juniors

1. Bridgette Skiba (Oregon State)
2. Ashley Orkus (Mississippi)
3. Brecht Haakma (VCU, Netherlands)
4. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina)
5. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers)
6. Hensley Hancuff (Clemson)
7. Bella Killgore (Rice)
8. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern)
9. Sydney Smith (Boise State)
10. Hayle Poltorak (Binghamton)

One to Watch: Brecht Haakma. The Dutch international possesses an interesting mix of height and mobility. Standing at 5’10”, Haakma doesn’t have the slow feet that typically plague taller goalkeepers. She can not only cover the crossbar but can close down space quickly and isn’t afraid to do so. Haakma has only loosely been tied to the Dutch national team prior to coming to America (originally attending Texas Tech University before transferring) and although she’s gained some positive momentum, her hands are far from confident and close-range situations haven’t been solved with convincing consistency yet.

The Netherlands are currently sporting 2019 World Cup Golden Glove winner Sari van Veenendaal yet the heralded goalkeeper is 31 and the depth chart below her is shaky at best. If Haakma can clean up some of the rough edges, she could easily work her way into the national team picture. And with the Netherlands currently ranked third in the world, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to have a future World Cup champion playing for VCU right now, assuming Haakma continues to elevate her game.

Sophomores

1. Ruthie Jones (Duke)
2. Angelina Anderson (California)
3. Lindsey Romig (Tennessee)
4. Katherine Asman (Penn State)
5. Heather Hinz (South Carolina)
6. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
7. Katie Meyer (Stanford)
8. Emerson Burke (Stony Brook)
9. Jordan Silkowitz (Iowa State)
10. Mollee Swift (LSU)

One to Watch: Angelina Anderson. Out of all the classes, it’s the sophomores who stand out with the deepest talent. All ten have shown positive strides and with the cancellation of the 2021 U20 World Cup, it’s easy to forget that Angelina Anderson announced herself on the collegiate scene with a bang, earning Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year as a freshman. Unfortunately for Anderson, the Cal defense took a nosedive this season, almost doubling their goals against average from 2019.

Extension saves are Anderson’s bread and butter (watch a worldy of a save here) and she’s comfortable playing out of the box, although her distribution and 1v1 strategy can feel a little clunky at times. However, if the young Cal goalkeeper is truly looking to make a run at the national team, her communication and game management might be the biggest priority. Upper ninety saves can only do so much when defenders get lackadaisical, as she witnessed in the 5-0 loss to USC a few weeks ago. It’s been a rough year for Cal but if Anderson can find effective solutions as the field general in the back, look for Cal to rebound next fall and prepare fans for a potentially exciting national team goalkeeper battle down the line.

Freshmen

1. Maria Echezarreta (NC State, Spain)
2. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
3. Emily Puricelli (Saint Louis)
4. Taylor Burgess (Massachusetts-Lowell)
5. Emma Wakeman (Charlotte)
6. Maddie Prohaska (Auburn)
7. Marlee Nicolos (Santa Clara)
8. Saskia Wagner (Little Rock, Germany)
9. Lauren Kellett (TCU)
10. Addison Corn (Furman)

One to Watch: Macy Enneking. Enneking’s goalkeeping style might be best described as “bounce house fun”. She has zero problems with reaching the top corners and even finds ways to get herself on the ball when there are twenty field players in the box, seemingly thriving off chaos when the occasion arises. Her readiness to dive headfirst into a dogpile, while admirable, can’t solve every situation though. Her bouncy set position can turn into distracting footwork when she’s needing to salvage every tenth of a second on shots with pace. Add on much-needed improvement to her distribution, as the ball seems to fly with different spin and trajectory just about every time she hits it, and she has her work cut out for her moving forward.

Still, it was an exciting year for Enneking, helping turn around Iowa’s season, who opened 0-1-6 in their first seven games yet finished 7-0-2 on the season when she won over the starting position. Enneking has a chance at something special moving forward, possessing an obvious “goalkeeping DNA” that coaches can’t teach. Hopefully, the freshman goalkeeper won’t let the lack of USYNT experience dictate her chances of playing professionally.

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

Overcoming a Goalkeeper's Worst Moment: Justin Bryant

Justin Bryant is the current goalkeeper coach for NC State’s women’s soccer program and a former professional goalkeeper for the Orlando Lions, Dunfermline Athletic, and the Cocoa Expos. Although Bryant reached the 1995 USISL final in his last season as a player, an error in the 3-1 loss ended his professional tenure on a sour note. Bryant opens up about the frustrating mistake - and how he’s incorporated the lesson into his coaching career - before recounting a standout moment that paved the way for playing overseas in Scotland and England.

For more on an outstanding career during a time when being a professional soccer player was rare, if not viewed as outright ludicrous, check out Bryant’s autobiography, Small Time: A Life in the Football Wilderness.

What was one of the worst moments in your playing career as a goalkeeper?

The last game of my career was the 1995 USISL Championship game between the host Richmond Kickers and my team, Cocoa Expos. In the 10th minute, a ball played over the top, angling toward the corner to my left, beat our back three. I could see the Richmond attacker, Rob Ukrop, running onto the ball, and I thought, 'That's going to be a really hard ball to bring down, coming over his shoulder like that.' So, anticipating a less-than-perfect first touch from Rob, I sprinted towards him, thinking I would easily be able to clear from outside my box. I figured that even if he took a really good touch, the fact that he was looking over his shoulder meant he would never know I was advancing, and I'd be able to clear. So, bad touch or good touch, either way was going to work out for me.

What I didn't anticipate, though, was that he would take neither a good nor bad touch, but instead miss the ball completely. The ball skipped past him toward the corner, but since he was already running more or less in that direction, he easily adjusted to it. I, on the other hand, had to arrest my momentum and make a hard left turn. He reached the ball first, with his back to goal, and took a touch just outside the box, which meant I couldn't try to plunge at his feet and win the ball with my hands. I briefly contemplated trying to tackle him, giving away a foul if necessary, but was concerned about getting sent off for a tackle from behind (recent changes to the laws meant this was a real risk).

So I calculated that my best chance was to turn and sprint back to my goal. I actually made it back in time, but my charge from goal meant that one of my chasing defenders went in goal to cover for me, instead of picking up a runner into the box, and when Ukrop turned and crossed, he found Brian Kamler arriving unmarked at the far post, and he headed back across me into the corner. The crowd of 6,000 exploded, and I lay disconsolately on the cool turf, growing damp with summer evening dew. 1-0 Richmond. They would go on to win 3-1, the only game that season I lost.

How did you overcome the setback?

By this stage in my career, I'd become adept at moving past mistakes. And honestly, at that moment I didn't particularly feel I had made a mistake; I was angry at Rob Ukrop for missing his touch! In my mind, had he taken any sort of touch, good or bad, I would've easily cleared the ball. So in a funny way, I blamed HIM for what happened. This isn't really rational; in fact it's delusional. But in this case, it helped keep my focus off my role in the goal, and let me play out the rest of the game without feeling I had anything to 'make up' for, which of course can lead to compounding mistakes. Goalkeepers get in trouble when they start trying to compensate.

Later, when I had more time to think about it, and especially when I watched the video, I realized an additional problem was that my starting position had been too deep. When I played for Borehamwood in England, we played a very high line, and I got used to playing high in support, and dealing with balls played into the space. But the Expos played a deep-lying 3-4-3, designed to draw teams in and hit them on the counter, and I gradually became accustomed to a deeper starting position. Starting close to your goal has a comforting, almost narcotic effect, in that you feel reassured by the proximity of your goal, and you begin to feel that straying from it is 'risky.' The exact opposite is true; the larger that gap between you and your defenders gets, the more likely a ball will find its way there and punish you. That's what happened in this case.

What made this moment so hard to take was that it was my last game. I had already decided to move on from playing at the end of the season. I was about to turn 29 and had struggled for years in the lower levels of the pro game, barely making enough money to live on, and I was ready to move into coaching. So although it was a great learning moment, I never got to personally put into practice the lesson I was harshly taught, which was that while proactive reading of the game is great, committing to a course of action that is dependent on *something which might not happen* will eventually get you into trouble. In my case, it caught up to me on my last night as a professional player. But I have certainly made a point of sharing this lesson with all the goalkeepers I've coached down the years.

What was one of the most successful moments you experienced as a goalkeeper?

I had a number of moments I'm very proud of. I was the first high school player from Brevard County, Florida to sign a D1 soccer scholarship (at Radford University). I had a very strong debut as a 21-year-old American for Borehamwood FC in England, playing well and keeping a clean sheet in my first game in March 1987. But my best moment came in September 1988, on a preseason tour of Scotland with my team Orlando Lions. I had already played well in games against St. Mirren and Aberdeen, coming on to play the second half of each game in place of my boyhood hero, the brilliant Winston DuBose; but in the final game of our tour, against Dunfermline Athletic, I was given the start.

The terrace behind my goal was packed. As a kid who grew up enthralled by the atmosphere of swaying, chanting British crowds, I couldn't believe I was playing in front of one just a handful of years later. But I wasn't overawed by the occasion. I played well, making a number of saves as we were under heavy pressure for the first twenty minutes or so. At one point, I twisted to hold a close-range header, drawing a loud 'Oooooohhh' from the crowd directly behind me. Feeling pretty full of myself, I turned and showed the ball to them in a playful taunt. The first half ended, Winston came on for the second, and I felt I'd done my job well. I retreated to the dugout, satisfied.

But when the game ended 2-2, we found that Dumfermline had commissioned a trophy for the winner, which would be decided by penalties. Despite Winston's vast experience, I brashly suggested to manager John Higgins that he put me in. He seemed surprised, but said, "We'll ask Winston." And even more surprisingly, Winston was easygoing about it. "Sure," he said. "Go save a few."

We went back to the end I'd started in, the one with the packed terrace. As I jogged into the goal, I gave the Dunfermline supporters the overhead clap I'd seen so many goalkeepers give their home support. To my amazement, the entire terrace, in the spirit of a friendly match, returned it. The first Dunfermline penalty taker stepped up. I decided for no good reason to dive to my left, and he obliged with the kind of penalty keepers love: waist high and about three steps away, just far enough that it looks like a much more difficult save than it really is. For the second shooter, I thought, well, he's seen my save to my left; he'll probably go right. He did, low but not well-placed enough, and this one I not only saved but held. Two penalties, two saves. I still can't explain the feeling. It literally felt like a dream. Both teams scored their next penalties, and then Dunfermline hit the crossbar with their fourth, and we won.

Why was this moment was so important to you?

If you dream of being a professional goalkeeper, and then you get the opportunity to not only sign a professional contract with a team, but test yourself right out of the gate not against the Albany Capitals or Boston Bolts (with all due respect to those teams and others in the old American Soccer League), but instead the likes of Aberdeen FC, who beat Real Madrid in a European final in 1983, St. Mirren, and Dunfermline Athletic - full-time, established British professional teams - it's the very definition of a dream come true. If you're a kid born in Florida in the mid-1960s, who didn't start playing until age 13 and had no real coaching, and then just eight years later you're standing in Scotland in front of a packed terrace of fans clapping you, the emotional impact is overwhelming. I still think about it today.

More practically, because I played well in all three games, I had tangible proof that I belonged. My best level was going to be good enough. My greatest fear had always been that even if I maxed out my ability, I would be out of my depth and totally embarrassed. But that didn't happen. All aspects of my game were tested in those three games in Scotland. I got bombarded with crosses, I got crowded at corners and free kicks, and shots rained in on me from all angles. I did well enough, in fact, that Dunfermline invited me for an extended trial the following season. It didn't work out because I couldn't get a UK work permit - a persistent problem which meant I never really achieved my ultimate career ambitions - but that was beyond my control.

Overcoming a Goalkeeper's Worst Moment: Luke Mathieu

Luke plays for Byron High School and, perhaps most notably, is a life-long Watford fan. Luke opens up about a frustrating goal in the regional semi-final, how he’s tried to put it behind him, and a shining moment, despite the scoreline.

What was one of the worst moments in your playing career as a goalkeeper?

It was a regional semifinal on a miserable night. About 40 degrees with 25mph wind gusts. The opposing player started an incredible run from midfield and dribbled down to the right-hand side of my goal. He puts a looping cross into the box and the original trajectory of the cross is around the penalty spot. I take a step towards the spot to gather the rather routine-looking cross. That's when the wind took over and nestled the ball perfectly off the post into the corner of the goal. I was devastated that a rather routine-looking cross turned into the best goal of the year in my area.

How did you overcome the setback?

It was hard. We had played pretty well against a superior team and this goal broke my heart because we had 5-10 minutes of the first half left to keep them out and go into halftime with a tie game. At the halftime talk, I came out and tried to immediately forget about that mistake and encouraged my teammates around me that we were still in the game. That mistake was always in the back of my head for the rest of the game and we had trouble playing out of the back because of it. We stayed in the game for a long time, finally conceding two goals in the last 10 minutes on counterattacks after we sent out fullbacks further up the pitch.

I have not been able to change my routine in a competitive game yet because I haven't played a game since but I did adjust a couple things in my routine for my next training sessions and goalkeeper camps. I taped my fingers in reverse order. Instead of taping them from the thumb to my pinky, I did the opposite. I also have been thinking about a different warm-up routine before a game once I get there in a couple weeks, which I will implement when it comes.

What was one of the most successful moments you experienced as a goalkeeper? (This does not have to be related to the first question, although it can be. Simply recall a highlight of your career! It can be on or off the field, but ideally related to being a goalkeeper in some capacity.)

We were playing on a Saturday two hours away. Everything was going wrong that day. We left at 7 in the morning and we're stuck in traffic for about 45 minutes before finally getting to the field. We were playing a 3A school compared to us being 1A (meaning we were significantly smaller than the other team). They were so much better than us and not to mention, it was another miserable day. Pouring rain and 40 degrees. I promptly came out and made 26 saves during the game and only gave up 3 goals, when it should have been closer to 10.

Why was this moment was so important to you? Although there may be an individual or team award/accomplishment tied to this moment, please include the intangible aspects as well. Consider how the achievement made you feel and why it was so impactful. *

This was important to me because of the focus I had throughout the game. I could not afford to lose concentration or we would have lost by three times the margin we actually did. There were a couple saves I was really proud of that kept my team in the game at 1-0 and 2-0 down and in range of staying competitive with a team that was three times as better than we were. It gave me the confidence to talk more to my defense and lead the team in several different aspects. As a sophomore, this was huge for me and it catapulted me forward to have a really good rest of the year.

(We reached out to the coaches at Rock Island High School for video of the game but they never got back to us which was frustrating for me, especially after having that good of a game.)

Overcoming a Goalkeeper's Worst Moment: Brandon Miller

Brandon Miller is the starting goalkeeper for the Charlotte Independence, as well as the 2015 USL Goalkeeper of the Year. After a stellar 2015, Miller struggled to regain his form throughout the 2016 season. Read about the frustration of the difficult season, how Miller refocused himself, and a highlight from last season that Miller will “never forget”.

What was one of the worst moments in your playing career as a goalkeeper?

I won't say I had one specific moment that was the low point but the 2016 season was definitely one of the lowest points of my soccer career. I was coming off the best year of my career, having won a championship and almost every individual award I could. I went to Orange County with big expectations and instead of building off of a successful 2015 season, I struggled to find any type of form. I made mistake after mistake in almost every game I played. I can't pick just one poor performance from that season. My confidence was extremely low and I dreaded playing at that point in my career.

How did you overcome the setback?

After the 2016 season, I spent about two months away from soccer trying to sort my life out. When I finally signed with another team, I made a promise to myself to focus solely on soccer and put in the extra work I needed to get back to the level I knew I could be at.

Confidence comes with experience. Consistent repetition is a good way to build confidence. From the first day of preseason, I was doing extra work every single day after practice. Regardless of if we had two or three sessions that day, I made sure I was analyzing my game and working on the areas that needed improvement. I also had to be honest with myself and figure out why my confidence was so low in the first place. I put more emphasis on my mental health and gaining the mental strength necessary to perform at a high level on a consistent basis.

What was one of the most successful moments you experienced as a goalkeeper?

Beating NCFC 1-0 in our last game of the season in 2020 to secure the top spot in our group and our first playoff appearance in years. I had a pretty solid performance, making a couple key saves in both halves to keep the score 0-0. Running the length of the field in the 90th minute to celebrate our goal and playoff birth is something I will never forget.

Why was this moment was so important to you?

This moment was so special for me for many reasons. I was raised in Charlotte and I understand the rivalry with NCFC. We had struggled to beat them in previous seasons so to clinch our playoff berth on their home field was something special. Putting in a good performance and leading my team to the top spot in our group was another reason the moment was so important. As a leader, you always want to put in the type of performances you can be proud of and that was one of them.