NCAA Women's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2021)

Seniors

1. Hillary Beall (Michigan)
2. Bridgette Skiba (Oregon State)
3. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina)
4. Hensley Hancuff (Clemson)
5. Marisa Bova (Purdue)
6. Laurel Ivory (Virginia)
7. Lysianne Proulx (Syracuse, Canada)
8. Jordyn Bloomer (Wisconsin)
9. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern)
10. Anna Smith (USC)
11. Jennifer Wandt (Baylor)
12. Ashley Orkus (Mississippi)
13. Kayla Thompson (Brown)
14. Emory Wegener (Georgia)
15. Mattison Interian (Notre Dame)
16. Lauren Brzykcy (UCLA)
17. Meagan McClelland (Rutgers)
18. Gabrielle Kouzelos (Louisville)
19. Megan McClure (Arkansas State)
20. Savannah Madden (Texas)

One to Watch: Marisa Bova. The 6’2” Boilermaker certainly checks a lot of boxes pro scouts are looking for: height, athleticism, handling, and box management. Bova isn’t afraid to put herself into the mix on corners or put her body on the line to make a game-changing save. As she preps herself for the next level, her success in the pro game will likely be tied to her ability to clean up situations close to goal. Although she’s found success using her power to cover the entire goal on shots from distance, she’ll need to pick up some nuance for when the game gets “small”. Whether on breakaways or just close-to-mid ranged shots, top strikers won’t hesitate to punish a misstep from a goalkeeper.

Juniors

1. Ruthie Jones (Duke)
2. Angelina Anderson (California)
3. Kayza Massey (West Virginia, Canada)
4. Heather Hinz (South Carolina)
5. Katie Meyer (Stanford)
6. Jordan Silkowitz (Iowa State)
7. Katherine Asman (Penn State)
8. Amanda Delgado (Cal State Northridge)
9. Cayla White (Virginia)
10. Joella Chase (Georgetown)

One to Watch: Jordan Silkowitz. Although all eyes are on the top half of the list, Silkowitz has quietly helped bolster the state of Iowa into a goalkeeping hotspot. Silkowitz’s approach is one of meticulous design: efficiently moving and positioning herself like a professional. Although there are more athletic goalkeepers in her class, Silkowitz is able to cover the same - if not more - ground by smart footwork and not just solely relying on explosiveness. Silkowitz conceded a few soft goals on sharp angels this year but her progress until this point is incredibly apparent. As she heads into her senior year, look for her to continue to make Ohio State regret letting her transfer and put herself into the conversation as a potential prospect for the 2023 NWSL draft.

Sophomores

1. Macy Enneking (Iowa)
2. Cristina Roque (Florida State, Puerto Rico)
3. Emily Puricelli (Saint Louis)
4. Leah Freeman (Oregon)
5. Tatum Sutherland (SMU)
6. Hailey Coll (Oregon State)
7. Maddie Prohaska (Auburn)
8. Saskia Wagner (Little Rock, Germany)
9. Ashley Naylor (Notre Dame)
10. Lauren Kellett (TCU)

One to Watch: Leah Freeman. Freeman is almost the polar opposite of Jordan Silkowitz (see above). The recently called up U20 youth national team goalkeeper looks to utilize her athleticism whenever possible. Possessing an impressive spring and unlimited storage of bravery, the sophomore goalkeeper has pulled back a number of goals in just her second year as a starter at Oregon. Joined by Nadia Cooper and Mia Justus at the U20 camp, Freeman is tabbed as a favorite within the USYNT structure but could do well to learn from Silkowitz’s efficiency in maximizing movement in the box. As shots arrive on frame in tenths of a second, Freeman needs to add more tools in her toolbox than just pure athleticism to fully tap into her potential.

Freshmen

1. Mia Justus (Florida State)
2. Maria Echezarreta (NC State, Spain)
3. Nadia Cooper (Washington State)
4. Wiebke Willebrandt (Boston College, Germany)
5. Maya Bellomo (Yale)
6. Laura Nielsen (Kentucky, Denmark)
7. CJ Graham (Lipscomb)
8. Madison Goldberg (Oregon)
9. Bella Grust (Colorado)
10. Annabelle Adams (Saint Peter's)

Ones to Watch: Mia Justus / Cristina Roque. “Too much of a good thing” might be Florida State’s mantra over these next couple of years. The Seminoles have two top goalkeepers in Justus and sophomore Cristina Roque. Although Roque picked up about two-thirds of the minutes this fall, Florida State knows they have a U20 USYNT goalkeeper in their core that they can’t just let rot away on the bench. As Florida State continues to plan more trips to the Final Four, look to see how they balance the two young goalkeepers’ minutes.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

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 (Spring 2021)

cover photo from the University of Pittsburgh

Seniors

1. Andreu Cases Mundet (Santa Clara, Spain)
2. Nico Campuzano (Pittsburgh)
3. Ruben Stuiver (San Francisco, Netherlands)
4. Andrew Pannenberg (Wake Forest) #
5. Colin Shutler (Virginia) #
6. Will Palmquist (Denver)
7. Tor Saunders (Coastal Carolina) #
8. Will Pulisic (Duke) #
9. Noah Lawrence (Ohio State) #
10. Ben Hale (Furman)
11. TJ Bush (James Madison)
12. Paul Tyson (Georgia State, England)
13. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
14. Drew Romig (Belmont)
15. Keagan McLaughlin (Notre Dame)

# - Pulisic signed with Austin FC, Pannenberg with Colorado Springs, and Shutler with North Texas SC. Saunders and Lawrence were drafted by Nashville and Austin, respectively.

One to Watch: Noah Lawrence. Describing Lawrence’s last 18 months as “tumultuous” would be underselling it. After the former Bearcat saw the University of Cincinnati terminate their men’s soccer program, Lawrence joined Ohio State for his last year of eligibility before COVID upended his senior season. In January, Lawrence heard his name called in the third round of the 2021 MLS Superdraft, showing his hard work had not gone unnoticed. However, Austin has since stocked up on young goalkeeping talent (Brady Scott, Will Pulisic), leaving Lawrence with yet another challenge to clear.

Lawrence’s game is built off of covering ground quickly and easily, although he has struggled to solve tight situations consistently. If the Bearcat-turned-Buckeye goalkeeper can add more tools to his toolbox to effectively take vertical space and solve awkward close-range shooting situations, look for Lawrence to work his way up Austin’s goalkeeping depth chart.

Juniors

1. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece)
2. Neil Strauber (Florida Atlantic, Israel)
3. Carson Williams (Villanova)
4. Eliot Hamill (Duke)
5. Andrew Thomas (Stanford)
6. Daniel Husa (Gardner-Webb, Norway)
7. Quantrell Jones (UMBC)
8. Trevor Schneider (UTRGV, Canada)
9. Rimi Olatunji (Providence, Canada)
10. George Marks (Clemson)

One to Watch: Eliot Hamill. It’s not common for a goalkeeper with no USYNT experience to sit for three falls then take over the starting position for an ACC. However, after the exit of senior goalkeeper Will Pulisic, Duke turned to Hamill for the bulk of their minutes. Although USYNT alum and freshman goalkeeper JT Harms received some playing time, Hamil’s experience to handle pressure was something that impressed head coach John Kerr, which says a lot about Hamill’s determination to continue to develop despite the lack of minutes.

Similar to Lawrence, Hamill possesses impressive speed and reflexes but can resort to “shooting from the hip” when plays break down, which happened a fair bit during Duke’s 4-3-10 (W-T-L) season. Starting for Duke in itself is no easy feat - and keeping Harms on the bench only adds to the pressure - but Hamill could quickly find himself going from an unknown backup goalkeeper to a top prospect for the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, if he’s able to find a healthy blend of methodical and improvisational.

Sophomores

1. Lluis Martorell (SIUE, Spain)
2. Roman Celentano (Indiana)
3. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
4. Ryan Troutman (Kentucky)
5. Matt Zambetti (Virginia Tech)
6. Michael Collodi (Columbia)
7. Giacomo Piccardo (Davidson, Italy)
8. Seanan Main (Western Illinois, Canada)
9. Holden Trent (High Point)
10. Sam Fowler (Washington)

One to Watch: Roman Celentano. Celentano fits the bill for a typical Hoosier goalkeeper: big, strong hands, and confident cross management skills. The Illinois native plays in a way that is eerily reminiscent of goalkeeping from the early-00s, almost as if he missed the memo that goalkeepers don’t collect crosses outside of their six-yard box anymore.

Typically Indiana’s defense does well to protect their goalkeepers (notice the yearly high save percentage for their goalkeepers) and this year is no different. However, the modern game asks for goalkeepers to make quick, nuanced decisions in tenths of a second. Celentano reads attacking balls well but isn’t extremely quick-footed and can make playing out of the back look cumbersome at times. For goalkeepers with Celentano’s size, it’s not uncommon to perform well at the amateur level but plateau moving forward. Look to see if Celentano can answer nuanced questions within the position and be more than just a big goalkeeper moving forward.

Freshmen

1. Luis Ludosan (St. Joseph's, Romania)
2. Lorenzo Gordon (American)
3. Cyrus Margono (Kentucky)
4. Leon Musial (UNC Asheville, Germany)
5. Emil Larsen (Wofford, Denmark)
6. Josue Hangi (Akron)
7. Alex Bobocea (Loyola, MD)
8. Owen Elliott (Penn State)
9. Ryan Schewe (Georgetown)
10. Brandon Keniston (San Francisco)

One to Watch: Cyrus Margono. What’s in store for the future of Kentucky’s goalkeeping core is anybody’s guess. The Wildcats rotated three goalkeepers this season, including redshirt freshman Cyrus Margono, who transferred out of the University of Denver to join Kentucky. Although Margono only picked up one win in his three appearances, he played about as good as one could hope a 19-year-old stepping in for a top 25 school would. Margono possesses the athleticism and poise to take over the starting position but Kentucky saw success with sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Troutman in net, going 7-2-1 (W-T-L) over the ten games. Margono didn’t transfer to sit on the bench but Kentucky is well prepared to move forward in the post-Enrique Facusse era with two talented goalkeepers. Keep an eye out for who emerges as the top goalkeeper in Lexington.

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
2014: Final

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

2020 NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Winter Break)

cover photo from Duke University

The fall season concludes this November but a number of question marks still loom as we head into the spring season. As to how the MLS draft and final months of the college season will unfold, it’s anyone’s guess. As of now, the top goalkeepers are listed below, as rated by Everybody Soccer, but it should be noted that about half the goalkeepers haven’t played a competitive collegiate game in over a year.

Seniors

1. Will Pulisic (Duke)
2. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
3. Tor Saunders (Coastal Carolina)
4. Enrique Facusse (Kentucky, Honduras)
5. Jan Hoffelner (St. John's, Germany)
6. Ben Hale (Furman)
7. Matthew Rosenberg (Xavier)
8. Colin Shutler (Virginia)
9. Jake Gelnovatch (Louisville)
10. Noah Lawrence (Ohio State)
11. Carson Williams (Villanova)
12. Connor Gavigan (Florida Gulf Coast)
13. Will Palmquist (Denver)
14. TJ Bush (James Madison)
15. Drew Romig (Belmont)

One to watch: Tor Saunders. Saunders is a prototypical MLS 1.0 goalkeeper. He’s technically sound, he’s not afraid to leave his line, and he has the needed athleticism to cover both the high and low parts of the net. Despite coming out of the Seattle Sounders’ academy, Saunders had a relatively quiet start to his collegiate tenure. After three years at Akron, two of which he sat, Saunders transferred to Coastal Carolina and led the Chanticleers to a 6-1-1 record, as well as a Sun Belt Championship. If Saunders can carry on the success through the spring season, look for professional sides to try to bring him in for 2021.

Juniors

1. Andrew Thomas (Stanford)
2. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece)
3. Justin Garces (UCLA)
4. Elian Haddock (Yale)
5. Quantrell Jones (UMBC)
6. George Tasouris (Grand Canyon, Cyprus)
7. Leon Krapf (NC State, Germany)
8. Dane Jacomen (Penn)
9. George Marks (Clemson)
10. Alex Budnik (Dartmouth)

One to watch: Elian Haddock. Talk to anyone who has watched Haddock over the past year and they’ll praise his game on a number of levels: strong hands, fluid movement, and willingness to put his body on the line. As he enters his junior year, the last box Haddock has to check is his ability to improv when plays break down. The 3-1 win over Dartmouth last fall showcased some of the high and low points to Haddock’s game. Multiple times in the game, Haddock showed confident handling and smooth footwork in the box. However, Haddock’s shutout is lost on an unorthodox chance on goal, where Haddock struggled to read the ball quick enough to drop step and push the lob over the bar. If Haddock can show more consistency in dealing with atypical situations, the Ivy Leaguer could make a run at the next level.

Sophomores

1. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
2. Tomas Romero (Georgetown, El Salvador)
3. Michael Collodi (Columbia)
4. Patrick Schulte (Saint Louis)
5. Roman Celentano (Indiana)
6. Sam Fowler (Washington)
7. Matt Zambetti (Virginia Tech)
8. Collin Travasos (California)
9. Ryan Bilichuk (South Carolina)
10. Justin Grady (George Washington)

One to watch: Kris Shakes. Somewhat counter to junior goalkeeper Elian Haddock, Shakes’ difficulties don’t seem to be found in his improvisational skills. Shakes has a great “nose for the ball” and combined with his explosive range, strikers should cherish the rare goal that slips past the Penn State goalkeeper. However, Shakes leans a little too heavily on throwing his body at the ball, often using it as his first and last option in stopping a chance on goal. The controlled chaos approach is reminiscent of Steve Clark and Bill Hamid but the veteran goalkeepers have a clear blueprint they work off, which strengthens their ability to react in a natural and fitting way for themselves. If Shakes can find a similar blueprint for himself, one that gives him more consistency yet doesn’t shackle his approach, MLS could prove to be a springboard for a career overseas.

Freshmen

1. Ryan Schewe (Georgetown)
2. James Lowell (Maryland)
3. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
4. Brant Zulauf (Mercer)
5. Marco Saborio Perez (North Carolina, Costa Rica)
6. Josue Hangi (Akron)
7. John Harms (Duke)
8. Ethan Wood (Michigan)
9. Eliot Jones (Stanford)
10. Alex Rando (Virginia)

One to watch: Bryan Dowd. Dowd was one of four freshmen invited to SKC’s college combine this fall, joining a senior-heavy group to showcase their talent to professional scouts. The Notre Dame backup didn’t see any minutes this fall but the USYNT product will likely take over the starting position next year. Dowd has an interesting blend of power and speed but, as of right now, it’s unforeseen how long he’ll stay with the Fighting Irish.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final