NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2023)

Bill Reno November 28, 2023

Cover photo from the University of Iowa.

Seniors

1. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
2. Cristina Roque (Florida State, Puerto Rico)
3. Katherine Asman (Penn State)
4. Halle Mackiewicz (Clemson)
5. Heather Hinz (South Carolina)
6. Stephanie Sparkowski (Michigan)
7. Taylor Burgess (Massachusetts-Lowell)
8. Ryan Campbell (Stanford)
9. Leah Freeman (Duke)
10. Marzia Josephson (Kentucky)

11. Madison White (Texas Tech)
12. Jocelyn Tanner (South Dakota State)
13. Kenna Caldwell (Texas A&M)
14. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
15. Anna Karpenko (Harvard, Canada)
16. Megan Plaschko (Minnesota)
17. Glo Hinojosa (UC Irvine)
18. Keara Fitzgerald (San Diego)
19. Allie Augur (Georgetown)
20. Alia Skinner (Virginia Tech)

One to Watch: Taylor Burgess. After an injury sidelined her going into the Fall 2021 season, Burgess is finally back to form. Burgess’ biggest obstacle is clearly her lack of height, which she does well to supplement her game with quick footwork and explosive dives. NWSL teams are reluctant to bring in shorter goalkeepers but if Burgess can follow Lindsay Harris’ footsteps and carve out a respectable run in Europe, she might be able to give herself a chance to return stateside down the line. (Honorable mention to NC State’s Maria Echezarreta who notched four matches before a late tackle ended her season.)

Juniors

1. Mia Justus (Texas)
2. Elizabeth Beardsley (Maryland)
3. Wiebke Willebrandt (Boston College, Germany)
4. Nadia Cooper (Washington State)
5. Tyler McCamey (Princeton)
6. CJ Graham (Utah Valley)
7. Savanna Mason (BYU)
8. Ashley Naylor (Notre Dame)
9. Olivia Pratapas (NC State)
10. Shu Ohba (Mississippi, Japan)

One to Watch: Mia Justus. Justus is reminiscent of a blend between Laurel Ivory and Zack Steffen. She’s quick, can cover the goal well when she sorts out her feet, and doesn’t get nervous when the opposition finds themselves knocking on the goal. She clearly thrives for the big stage moments but the 5-0 drubbing by Florida State shed some light on her reluctance to utilize various tools in keeping the ball out of the net. A perennial line sitter, Justus doesn’t take forward space often and can get tunnel vision on plays, not seeing the back post danger. There’s a reason Justus started her career at Florida State but she’ll need more than quick reactions to make the jump to the next level.

Sophomores

1. Emmie Allen (North Carolina)
2. Neeku Purcell (UCLA)
3. Alli Davis (New Mexico)
4. Ally Zazzara (Tennessee)
5. Bella Hollenbach (Missouri)
6. Kendall Edwards (Milwaukee)
7. Shealyn Vanderbosch (Syracuse)
8. Pauline Nelles (Arizona State, Germany)
9. Ashton Blair (East Tennessee State)
10. Sally Rainey (New Hampshire)

One to Watch: Alli Davis. The 5-6-6 record (with only one win in the last seven matches) largely held Davis away from any postseason awards, despite Davis keeping the Lobos in nearly every match, often losing by one goal or finishing in a tie. Davis possesses strong “I’ll show you” energy by mimicking late 20th-century goalkeeping; she’s more than happy to insert herself into a fray and has the hops to cover the bar when she gets her footwork right. Consistency has been a bit of an issue for Davis, as tactically it feels like it’s a different approach on every play. Outside looking in, Davis looks like the type of goalkeeper who finds herself at a “boom or bust” pivot. If she can find a blueprint for herself that she can rely on to handle tactically complex situations better, watch out. But if she continues to rely on brashness alone, the Lobos goalkeeper may not be able to follow up her 2022 All-Freshman Team performance.

Freshmen

1. Hannah Poulter (USC, England)
2. Nona Reason (North Carolina)
3. Atlee Olofson (Notre Dame)
4. Valentina Amaral (Wake Forest)
5. Kyla Holmes (Yale)
6. Olivia Bodmer (Rutgers)
7. Lynette Hernaez (BYU)
8. Abby Reisz (Tennessee)
9. Addie Ford (Drake)
10. Ally Larkin (Nevada)

One to Watch: Hannah Poulter. It’s difficult for any goalkeeper to shine as a first year and even more so for a top program like USC. Poulter’s resume boasts English YNT experience (recently starting for England’s U19s in a 3-3 tie with Germany) but the mental stress collegiate soccer puts on a young goalkeeper is palpable. Poulter left the UNC game early in the first half (possibly due to issues with the heat) and never regained her starting spot after the 3-2 loss to Utah Valley, a game Poulter didn’t play poorly in but looked disjointed from her team. Poulter carries prestige but she’ll need to find chemistry and on-field success with her teammates if she wants to play a role for a team that is seriously knocking on the door for a national championship.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2023: Preseason
2022: Preseason and Final
2021: Preseason and 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

NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Preseason Fall 2023)

Bill Reno August 9, 2023

Seniors

1. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
2. Maria Echezarreta (NC State, Spain)
3. Cristina Roque (Florida State, Puerto Rico)
4. Heather Hinz (South Carolina)
5. Megan Plaschko (Minnesota)
6. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
7. Ryan Campbell (Stanford)
8. Marzia Josephson (Kentucky)
9. Leah Freeman (Duke)
10. Lauren Kellett (TCU)

One to Watch: Following in the footsteps of former Gopher goalkeepers Cat Parkhill and Tarah Hobbs, Plaschko is looking to aid Minnesota’s first return to the NCAA tournament since 2018. Plaschko is your classic American goalkeeper: impeccable mechanics, unmatched power, and playing out a deep-lying position. (Think Alyssa Naeher.) It’s not the most modern style, however, Plaschko has quietly become one of the most effective goalkeepers in and out of the Big 10. If Plaschko can help the Gophers return to the NCAA tournament, look for her stock to bolster and give herself a decent shot at the 2024 NWSL draft.

Juniors

1. Mia Justus (Texas)
2. Elizabeth Beardsley (Maryland)
3. Wiebke Willebrandt (Boston College, Germany)
4. Savanna Mason (BYU)
5. Tyler McCamey (Princeton)
6. Shu Ohba (Mississippi, Japan)
7. Maya Bellomo (Yale)
8. Chloe Olson (Marquette)
9. Ashley Naylor (Notre Dame)
10. CJ Graham (Utah Valley)

One to Watch: CJ Graham. Graham transferred out of Lipscomb and moved west for Utah Valley, which is a program that’s been completely reformed from ten years ago. Finishing 40th in the RPI last fall, UVU picks up one of the most athletic goalkeepers in college soccer, but one who still has some development to finalize before a potential jump to the pros. If the Wolverines can clean up their new goalkeeper’s handling and some tactical decision-making processes, look for Graham to be a top name for NWSL teams to draft.

Sophomores

1. Emmie Allen (North Carolina)
2. Neeku Purcell (UCLA)
3. Teagan Wy (California)
4. Pauline Nelles (Arizona State, Germany)
5. Bella Schopp (Brown)
6. Caroline Duffy (Duke)
7. Ashton Blair (East Tennessee State)
8. JLo Varada (Campbell, Puerto Rico)
9. Erynn Floyd (Louisville)
10. Ally Zazzara (Tennessee)

One to Watch: Emmie Allen. Allen ended her 2022 run off one of the more improbable no-calls in college soccer and, needless to say, has unfinished business for 2023. Allen’s combination of light feet and athleticism allows her to take a significant level of responsibility in the game, covering large portions of the goal and penalty box. After another stint with USL W’s NC Courage U23s in summer ball action, look for Allen to feel even more comfortable in donning the heralded Carolina blue, making her case for the best goalkeeper in college soccer.

Freshmen

1. Mackenzie Gress (Penn State)
2. CJ Roy (Northwestern)
3. Nona Reason (North Carolina)
4. Abby Gundry (North Carolina)
5. Claire Heddings (Michigan)
6. Adelyn Todd (Florida State)
7. Jamie Campbell (Colorado)
8. Valentina Amaral (Wake Forest)
9. Emily Earles (NC State)
10. Liya Brooks (Washington State)

One to Watch: Mackenzie Gress. The former USYNT prospect hails from - what some would argue - is the hotbed of American goalkeeping: New Jersey. Regardless, Gress returns for her redshirt freshman year, changing her jersey number from 28 to 1 and possibly giving us a sign of things to come. Look for the Nittany Lions to find minutes for Gress when available, even with starting goalkeeper Kat Asman returning for her final year.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2022: Preseason and Final
2021: Preseason and 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

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Preseason Fall 2023)

Bill Reno August 6, 2023

Seniors

1. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
2. James Lowell (Maryland)
3. Ryan Troutman (Louisville)
4. Lute Lillo Portero (Omaha, Spain)
5. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
6. Holden Brown (Virginia)
7. Ryan Schewe (Georgetown)
8. Sam Fowler (Washington)
9. Eoin Gawronski (Long Island)
10. Michael Collodi (Columbia)

One to Watch: Eoin Gawronski. A bumpy time at Temple, filled with injuries and splitting time, is hopefully in the past for Gawronski as the Philadelphia Union product looks to reset with a transfer to Long Island University. Although not normally known as a soccer powerhouse, LIU has done well for themselves in the past few years and are primed for a breakout year. Several MLS and USL goalkeepers have come from smaller schools, so don’t be surprised to see Gawronski use this opportunity to make a name for himself, assuming he can stay healthy and lean on the basics that made him originally successful at Temple.

Juniors

1. Edu Rodriguez (Rhode Island, Spain)
2. Nate Crockford (Wisconsin)
3. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
4. Alex Lopez (Tulsa, Spain)
5. Alex Bobocea (Loyola (MD))
6. Trace Alphin (Wake Forest)
7. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
8. Aurie Briscoe (Rutgers, Puerto Rico)
9. Wyatt Kistner (Florida Gulf Coast)
10. Conrad Lee (Yale)

One to Watch: Nathanael Sallah. Sallah has innumerable tools at his disposal but consistency has eluded him still. Although Sallah has notched 19 appearances for Omaha, he’s yet to nail down the starting spot. Complicating the situation is returning senior goalkeeper Lute Lillo Portero, who offers Omaha a high level of security in goal through steady play. Sallah must once again navigate limited opportunities to prove himself as not only the best goalkeeper at the university but one whom professional sides will be comfortable bringing in.

Sophomores

1. Jay Hibbert (Connecticut)
2. Casper Mols (Kentucky, Denmark)
3. Andrew Cordes (North Carolina)
4. Ben Alexander (South Carolina, Canada)
5. Mitchell Budler (Akron)
6. Juanvi Munoz (UCF, Spain)
7. Jack Morris (Stanford)
8. Luis Castillo (Oregon State, Spain)
9. Logan Erb (San Diego State)
10. Cabral Carter (Pittsburgh)

One to Watch: Jay Hibbert. Hibbert possesses a Zack Steffen-like poise wrapped up in a David de Gea-esque frame, showcasing an interesting blend of athleticism with a front-footed mindset. Hibbert earned early minutes for UConn last season, but the Huskies eventually leaned on graduate student Michael Stone to lead them through conference play. If Hibbert can refine the finer details of his unique approach, look for Hibbert to nail down the starting role in 2023 and potentially insert himself into the U23 discussion for the US’s Olympic run.

Freshmen

1. Julian Eyestone (Duke)
2. Wyatt Nelson (UCLA)
3. Justin Stewart (High Point)
4. Dan Rose (Marshall, Ireland)
5. Jude Bosshardt (Northwestern)
6. Caleb Tunks (Virginia)
7. Patrick Schott (Belmont, Germany)
8. Cody Lindeman (San Diego)
9. Zack Andoh (California)
10. Gavin Roberts (Lindenwood)

One to Watch: Wyatt Nelson. Nelson enters UCLA as one of the Sounders’ best goalkeeping prospects in years, if not the best ever. Additionally, wearing the Bruins badge comes with a certain level of expectation as UCLA was once known as a powerhouse for developing goalkeepers. However, UCLA currently has just two former goalkeepers in the pro ranks (Earl Edwards ’14, Justin Garces, ’22) and the Sounders have yet to earn a high return off of homegrown goalkeepers in over ten years of running the academy. A lot of hopes ride on Nelson reversing the tide for both UCLA and the Sounders academy, but he’ll first have to earn significant minutes in the next few months. Look for former alum and current UCLA goalkeeping coach Juan Cervantes to teach the youngster how to swim in the deep end.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

The Top 50 USWNT-Eligible Goalkeepers

Bill Reno June 5, 2023

In conjunction with the USMNT depth chart, the top 50 is back with this summer’s best goalkeepers. Each goalkeeper is slotted by a number of factors: historical individual results, current individual level of play, and projected on-field performance. The top 50 attempts to remove exterior noise and team statistics to isolate the goalkeeper’s true ability. Each block of ten names features a player to watch, giving a small bio about the goalkeeper and what to look out for in the coming months.

To see how the top 100 rankings have evolved since March 2015, click here.

1. Bella Bixby, 27 - Portland Thorns FC
2. Aubrey Kingsbury, 31 - Washington Spirit
3. Alyssa Naeher, 35 - Chicago Red Stars
4. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, 26 - OL Reign
5. Jane Campbell, 28 - Houston Dash
6. Casey Murphy, 27 - North Carolina Courage
7. Katelyn Rowland, 29 - North Carolina Courage
8. Michelle Betos, 35 - Gotham FC
9. Emily Boyd, 26 - Chicago Red Stars
10. Katie Lund, 26 - Racing Louisville

One to Watch: Naeher’s replacement. As the 2023 World Cup looms, the chance of someone not named Alyssa Naeher starting for the US seems close to zero. The USWNT is slow to change (see the still relevant article on USWNT goalkeeping eras). However, following the World Cup/Olympics run, the US will most certainly look to fill Naeher’s placement immediately. For some reference, Canada’s Kailen Sheridan waited patiently until Stephanie Labbe retired and is now not only their starting goalkeeper but arguably the best in the world. The US has favored Casey Murphy, which puts her as the frontrunner to take Naeher’s place, but Bixby and Kingsbury have waited too long to not go down without a fight.

11. Cassie Miller, 28 - Kansas City Current
12. Lainey Burdett, 26 - Vittsjö (Sweden.1)
13. Adrianna Franch, 32 - Kansas City Current
14. Mandy Haught, 24 - Gotham FC
15. Jalen Tompkins, 26 - Valerenga (Norway.1)
16. Emily Dolan, 28 - Espanyol (Spain.2)
17. Carly Nelson, 25 - Orlando Pride
18. Samantha Murphy, 26 - Piteå (Sweden.1)
19. Katelin Talbert, 24 - Benfica (Portugal.1)
20. Shelby Hogan, 24 - Portland Thorns FC

One to Watch: Jalen Tompkins. The high flyer made a good name for herself in Norway with four trophies to her name. Now sitting convincingly in first place, as well as with Champions League matches coming up this summer, Tompkins will look to bolster her reputation even further. Although Valerenga was respectably rated as the 20th best team in Europe at the end of last year, it wouldn’t be hard to see Tompkins move to a top team in Europe. Although still over a year off, Tompkins could also venture a return to the States with the start of the USL’s Super League kicking off in August 2024.

21. Abby Smith, 29 - Gotham FC
22. Lindsey Harris, 29 - Free Agent
23. Ella Dederick, 26 - Houston Dash
24. Shae Yanez, 26 - San Diego Wave
25. Hillary Beall, 24 - Racing Louisville
26. Bridgette Skiba, 23 - Køge (Denmark.1)
27. Kaylan Marckese, 25 - Arsenal (England.1)
28. Brittany Isenhour, 25 - Angel City FC
29. Jordyn Bloomer, 25 - Racing Louisville
30. Kelsey Daugherty, 26 - Avaldsnes (Norway.1)

One to Watch: Lindsey Harris. For anyone that caught more than five minutes of TST’s highly publicized 7v7 tournament, they likely saw highlights of Harris repelling shot after shot. The quick reactions and “bet on yourself” ethos was the perfect setup to highlight her strengths at the tournament, despite instilling some chaos at times. Currently out of contract, Harris would be an ideal candidate for the USL Super League but she needs to keep traction until then. She’s spent time in Norway and Iceland before signing with the Houston Dash so don’t be surprised if she returns to Europe.

31. Kelly Rowswell, 25 - Valur (Iceland.1)
32. Devon Kerr, 26 - Houston Dash
32. Adelaide Gay, 33 - Fortuna Hjørring (Denmark.1)
33. Laurel Ivory, 23 - OL Reign
34. Aubrei Corder, 25 - Kalmar (Sweden.1)
35. Sophie Whitehouse, 26 - Lewes (England.2)
36. Kaylie Collins, 25 - Orlando Pride
37. Claudia Dickey, 23 - OL Reign
38. Alex Godinez, 29 - Monterrey (Mexico.1)
39. Macy Enneking, 22 - Iowa
40. Hannah Seabert, 28 - Sporting CP (Portugal.1)

One to Watch: OL Reign backups. With Tullis-Joyce holding onto the starting spot, sparse minutes for Dickey and Ivory won’t be enough to satisfy either competitor. Racing Louisville has done well to find matches for their backups with loans to Australia and the Nordic countries have historically been positive locations for many American goalkeepers, so there are opportunities out there. Hopefully, the Reign can help create avenues for their young prospects to continue their development, although having two same-aged goalkeepers is something that’s likely coming to an end, sooner or later.

41. Ruthie Jones, 22 - Duke
42. McKinley Crone, 24 - Orlando Pride Trailist
43. Jennifer Wandt, 24 - Trelleborgs FF (Sweden.2)
44. Jordan Silkowitz, 23 - Kansas City Current
45. Marisa Bova, 22 - North Carolina Courage
46. Angelina Anderson, 22 - Angel City FC
47. Kayla Thompson, 24 - Toluca (Mexico.1)
48. Savanna Mason, 24 - BYU
49. Cosette Morche, 26 - Valencia (Spain.1)
50. Monica Wilhelm, 23 - UMF Tindasoll (Iceland.1)

One to Watch: Monica Wilhelm. Although six goalkeepers heard their name called in the NWSL draft, Wilhelm took her talents to Iceland with newly promoted UMF Tindasoll. Tindasoll are currently sitting sixth out of ten clubs but can’t afford to drop even one spot if they wish to play in the championship round (Iceland’s form of playoffs). Wilhelm’s steady play has earned her a start every match, leading her team to a 2-2-2 record thus far. The Iowa grad will need to stay atop her game until Tindasoll’s offense starts clicking more consistently (only 5 goals in 6 matches) if they want to dream of a shot at the UCL.