Seniors
1. Jacob Harris (Colgate) - 22
2. Jimmy Slayton (Hartford) - 21
3. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State) - 22
4. Drake Callender (California) - 21
5. Andreu Cases Mundet (Wake Forest, Spain) - 22
6. Sawyer Gaffney (Davidson) - 22
7. Anthony Mwembia (Bowling Green, France) - 23
8. Wallis Lapsley (UC Davis) - 22
9. Robbie McKelvey (Duquesne) - 22
10. Carlos Caro (Howard) - 21
Make or break: Parker Siegfried. Siegfried holds a homegrown option with Columbus but similar to Luis Barazza last year, if he plays well enough he may have more suitors by the time the draft rolls around. The Crew doesn’t have a USL affiliate as of 2019 so roster spots aren’t easy to come by, although that could theoretically change for 2020. Siegfried has shown flashes of professional-level talent but the Buckeyes are coming off a 1-15-2 season last year. Realistically Siegfried needs a loud senior year to see an MLS contract in front of him come January to overcome his short stature, the Crew’s crowded goalkeeping core, and a dreadful finish in 2018.
Juniors
1. Ben Hale (Furman) - 21
2. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland) - 21
3. Colin Shutler (Virginia) - 20
4. Will Pulisic (Duke) - 21
5. Noah Lawrence (Cincinnati) - 20
6. Enrique Facusse (Kentucky, Honduras) - 20
7. Jake Gelnovatch (Louisville) - 22
8. Andrew Pannenberg (Wake Forest) - 20
9. Noah Heim (SIUE) - 21
10. Leon Krapf (NC State, Germany) - 21
Make or break: Will Pulisic. The highly touted goalkeeper, who was once training Dortmund, has yet to move past the third round in the NCAA tournament, being upset as a sixth seed both years. Pulisic has some name recognition going in his favor but being sub-six feet tall and lack of postseason success are going to be hard for scouts to overlook. If Pulisic showcases another postseason run with mixed reviews, there’s a good chance he is tagged with being a “good, but not great” goalkeeper. However if Pulisic and Duke put the pieces together and display why they’re a school that should be feared, Pulisic may not need to stay around for his senior year.
Sophomores
1. Justin Garces (UCLA) - 18
2. Andrew Thomas (Stanford) - 20
3. Alec Smir (North Carolina) - 20
4. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece) - 18
5. George Tasouris (Grand Canyon, Cyprus) - 23
6. George Marks (Clemson) - 19
7. Daniel Husa (Gardner-Webb, Norway) - 21
8. Alex Budnik (Dartmouth) - 19
9. Sam Ilin (Marist) - 19
10. Sean Murry (Monmouth) - 20
Make or break: Justin Garces. Heading into the fall this time last year, Garces was one of, if not the number one prospect within the USMNT goalkeeping pool. A middling fall and a quiet six months later, Garces has some competition for the number one spot just within his. Andrew Thomas was called into a U23 camp over the summer and both George Marks (Clemson) and Alec Smir (UNC) are set to take over programs with more than its fair share of top goalkeepers in its history. Garces needs a confident fall to springboard into an even more convincing spring and summer run, otherwise he’ll go down as a once-promising young athlete who struggled to put the pieces in order.
Freshmen
1. Patrick Schulte (Saint Louis) - 18
2. Collin Travasos (California) - 18
3. Mario Perez (Purdue Fort Wayne) - 18
4. Tomas Romero (Georgetown, El Salvador) - 18
5. Kris Shakes (Penn State) - 18
6. Marcus Peterkin (Connecticut) - 18
7. Nate Holladay (UNC Asheville) - 18
8. Duncan Wegner (Hofstra) - 18
9. Michael Collodi (Columbia) - 18
10. Rhone Ellis (NC State) - 18
Make or break: Patrick Schulte. Schulte broke onto the scene with his US Open Cup heroics this summer, clawing out three penalty saves to push St. Louis FC into the third round. (Watch the highlights and penalty saves here.) Last year we saw Matt Freese leave Harvard after only his sophomore season and 14 collegiate starts to sign with the Philadelphia Union, where he already has 6 starts in MLS action. While Schulte may not have the opportunity to leave after his freshman fall, professional teams are looking younger and younger to establish their goalkeeping cores. If Schulte can prove he’s on a professional track, don’t be surprised if the US Open Cup hero gets an early start on his legacy as an MLS goalkeeper, if not something abroad.
Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final