3rd Degree


2009 Final Goalkeeping Prospects Rankings

January 14th, 2009 . 12:44 pm . By: Buzz Carrick

2009 Final Goalkeeping Prospects Rankings

This might have been the year of the goal keeper in the MLS SuperDraft if it weren’t the year of the forward and if two of the best in this class, Chris Seitz and Mike Gustavson, hadn’t already made their way to Major League Soccer.  Even with those two missing names, this group, in a reversal from last year, has some real top notch pro prospects at with three legitimate pro talents at the top and a solid group with a chance just behind them. 

Rn Name School Class Height Weight Notes/Comments
1 Stefan Frei California Jr-rs 6′3″ 200 An outstanding keeper prospect, predicted to be in the same class as Brad Guzan and Chris Seitz.The six foot three red-shirt junior is a two-time All-American and two-time First Team All Pac 10. A native of Switzerland who moved to the US at 15, Frei has become a leader on and off the field for the Bears.  Eight shutouts led the Pac 10 in 2008, as did his 0.68 goals-against average, for a three year total of 19 shutouts.  Frei has arguably been the best keeper in College the last two years. 

2008: College Soccer News 3rd Team All-American, Top Drawer Soccer 1st Team of the Year, Pac-10 First Team. 
2007: All-American 1st Team and Pac 10 First Team.

Generation adidas target
2 Zack Simmons Umass Sr-r 6′2″ 185 The former walk-on and now A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Simmons is a 4 year starter for the Minutemen and carries a 3.99 GPA as a double major in history and economics. Simmons almost single-handedly led his team to the College Cup in 2007 and followed it up with a 0.81 GAA and seven shutouts in 2008.  A terrific shot stopper at 6 foot two, he’s capable of the big save to keep his team in games they should not be.  Simmons is perhaps the most likely to make an immediate impact in MLS.2008: College Soccer News 2nd Team, Top Drawer Soccer 2nd Team of the Year, A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, A-10 Student Athlete of the Year, A-10 1st Team.
2007: All-American 3rd Team, A10 1st Team, Soccer American 1st Team MVP. 0.82 GAA.
2006: A-10 Honorable Mention.
2005: A-10 All-Rookie Team.
3 Jovan Bubonja Illinois-Chi Jr-rs 6′2″ 200 Stayed in school.After taking a medical red-shirt in his first season at UIC for an ACL injury, the Serbian born Bubonja rebounded with two Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year nods in three years and topped it off with the First Team All-American nod this year.  The 6-2 Herman Trophy Semi-finalist had a 0.67 GAA in this his red-shirt junior season of play with 10 shutouts.  Budonja is graduating this December in three and a half years but does retain a year of eligibility.

2008: All-American 1st Team, Herman Semi-Finalist, College Soccer News 1st Team, Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year, Horizon League 1st Team.
2007: College Soccer News 2nd Team, Horizon League 1st Team, Soccer American 2nd Team MVP.
2006: Top Drawer Soccer 4th Team of the Year, Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year, Horizon League 1st Team, Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. College Soccer News All-Freshman Team, Soccer American All-Freshman 2nd Team. 
2005: Medical red-shirt ACL

possible Generation adidas target
4 Chris Brown Boston Col Sr. 6′5″ 225 On trial in Norway.At 6′ 5″ and 225 pounds, Brown is the kind of a massive keeper that catches the pro scout’s attention.  Perhaps not quite the can’t miss prospect of those above, Brown did make his first US U23 camp this year. The two time ACC honoree played every game in net for BC the last two years and finished ‘08 with a 0.90 goals-against average. One red flag, Brown missed both 2004 and 2005 with knee injuries.

2008: ACC 1st Team.
2007: ACC 2nd Team

MLS Combine
5 Steward Ceus Albany SR 6′6″ 215 A very tall keeper with some serious quickness and reactions.  He’s very raw and looks a high risk high reward pick.The giant 6-6 Ceus, a four year starter for Albany, carries a 5.93 saves per game average this season that ranks 4th in the country.  American East Goalkeeper of the Year, Ceus leaves Albany with school records in shutouts and saves.  His Third Team All-American nod is the first Division I All-American award in Albany soccer history. Team Captain.

2008: All-American 3rd Team, American East Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team.

MLS Combine
6 Milos Kocic Loyola (Maryland) Sr 6′4″ 200 The second Serbian in the top six, the 6-5 Kocic transferred to Loyola from St John’s after red-shirting there in 2005.  Listed as a Junior, Kocic is going to the MLS Combine and is draft eligible as he also graduates in December.  Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference First Team in 2007 and 2008, Kocic garnered a Second Team All-American nod this year with a 0.87 GAA and 12 shutouts.  His 17 shutouts in 2007 tied LMU Alum Zac Thornton’s school record as Kocic led the country with a 0.47 GAA.2008: All-American 2nd Team, Soccer American MVP 2nd Team, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference 1st Team. 
2007: First Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player 
2005: St John’s – red shirt

MLS Combine
7 Alec Dufty Evansville Sr 6′5″   Started career at Appalachian State, transferred to Evansville in 2006.  A 3 year starter for the Aces, 3 straight winning seasons.2008: MVC Honorable Mention.
8 Sean Milligan Dartmouth Sr 6′5″ 230 Two years as a starter and two years First Team All-Ivy, the 6′5″ Milligan leaves the Big Green as their all time leader in career goals-against with 0.82and shutouts with 18.  0.87 GAA and 6 shutouts in 2008 after setting a single season school record with 9 shutouts in 2007.2008: Ivy 1st Team. 
2007: Ivy 1st Team

MLS Combine
9 Evan Bush Akron Sr-rs 6′3″ 185 A 6 foot 3 red-shirt senior, Bush leaves Akron with career marks in wins with 62 and shutouts with 49.  Bush was Mid-American Conference Newcomer of the year in ‘05, when he ranked third in the nation with a 0.51 GAA, and First Team All-MAC in ‘05, ‘07, and ‘08.  He held the Akron career goals against mark through his first three seasons at 0.65 and it only went lower with his highly impressive 0.46 GAA and 13 shutouts in 2008.2008: MAC 1st Team.
2007: MAC 1st Team. 
2005: MAC Newcomer of the Year, 1st Team.
2004: red-shirt

MLS Combine
10 Neal Kitson St John’s Sr-r 6′0″ 180 This red-shirt senior is smallest keeper in my top ten, yet Kitson put up some extraordinary numbers this year behind the Red Strom’s impenetrable defense with a staggering 0.32 goals-against and 13 shutouts.  While one might be tempted to think this year and a half starter might be getting a lot of help from his fullbacks, his performance at the College Cup leads one to believe he’s a major part of the team’s standout defensive performance.  Good lateral quickness helps compensate for the lack of a large frame.2008: Soccer American MVP 1st Team, Big East 3rd Team.

MLS Combine
11 Kevin Guppy Cal State Northridge Sr 6′1″ 185 A four year starter for the Matadors, Guppy is a former US U20 pool keeper.  The 6′1″ keeper earned Big West Conference nods every season including Big West Goalkeeper of the Year in his freshman and senior campaigns.  Guppy’s career ranks in the top ten in all-time Big West play in five major statistical categories: wins (38-2nd), games (79-2nd), minutes (7,469-2nd), shutouts (25-4th), and goals-against (1.00-7th).  He’s an alternate for the MLS Combine.2008: Big West Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team. 
2007: Big West 2nd Team. 
2005: Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team
12 Tyrel Lacey Tulsa Sr 6′3″ 197 70 saves and 0.60 GAA with 7 shutouts in 2008.  Lacey currently ranked seventh in the nation in saves percentage and 14th in GAA.  Played behind Dominic Cervi at Tulsa so only a one year starter.2008: Top Drawer Soccer 3rd Teamof the Year, Conference USA 1st Team.
13

Brian Visser

 DePaul Sr 6′3″ 185 67 saves and a 0.60 GAA in 2008 with 11 shutouts. Was the first DePaul player in school history to make All-Big East in 2007.  He’s an alternate for the MLS Combine.2008: Big East 2nd Team. 
2007: Top Drawer Soccer 2nd Team of the Year, Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team
14 David Cappuccio Colgate Sr 6′1″ 180 A 3 year starter for Colgate, Cappuccio broke the broke the school career record for shutouts with 23.  He finished the season 9-4-3 overall with seven shutouts, a .839 save percentage and 0.81 goals against average.2008: Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team
2006: Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team
15 Robert Cavicchia Syracuse S 6′0″ 180 Four year starter in the Big East with 22 career shutouts. In 2005 Recorded the fifth-best single-season goals-against average in Orange history (0.86).  Cavicchia is a former Canadian U15 and U17.
16 Andrew Dykstra Virginia Comm sr-r 6′4″ 205 A four year starter for Virginia Commonwealth, Dykstra made 70 this year with a 0.97 GAA.  He’s an alternate for the MLS Combine.
17 Chay Cain Indiana Sr 6′0″ 175 3 year starter for a massive soccer program like Indiana is nothing to sniff at. Neither is 10 or more shutouts per year. 0.97 GAA In 2008.2007: Big Ten 1st Team, 0.67 GAA. 
2006: Defensive Player of Big Ten Champ, 0.57 GAA
18 Eric Branagan-Franco Cal Poly Sr 5′10″ 170 Best keeper in Cal Poly history with numerous impressive stats: single season records for saves (98, 2008), goals-against average (0.83, 2006), save percentage (.831, 2008), shutouts (nine, 2007) and matches started in goal (21, 2008); career records for goals-against average (0.91), save percentage (.809) and shutouts (24). 2008: Big West Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, 1st Team.
2007: Big West Honorable Mention
19 Pat Disbennett St Louis SR 6′2″ 180 in 2008 Led A-10 with 0.75 GAA and was 2nd with both 6 shutouts and .811 save percentage.  Shutout big time teams UConn, Northwestern, and Creighton this season.  Missed most of 2007 with a facial injury in the second game of the season, but made his way back into the lineup for final two weeks of the regular season.  In 2005 a foot injury limited him to 207 minutes. 2008: A-10 2nd Team. 
2006: red-shirt.
20 Matthew Jones Sacred Heart Sr 6′2″ 180 English.  4 year starter, 71 games, over 6000 minutes in goal.  21 career shutouts, 30 wins, and a 0.97 GAA. 2008: Northeast Conference 1st Team.
2007: Northeast Conference 1st Team.
2005: Northeast Conference 2nd Team.
21 Joe Zimka  Northern Illinois Sr 6′4″ 215 63 saves and a 0.98 GAA mark in 2008.  In 2006 set a NCAA record with a 0.21 Goals-against mark and a Northern Illinois record with 754 consecutive scoreless minutes. Led the NCAA that year in save percentage (.955), and led the MAC in shut outs (11), saves percentage (.968) and goals against average (0.16). 2006: MAC 2nd Team.
22 Patrick Mitrovich Winthrop Sr 6′1″   PDL for Atlanta Silverbacks.2008: Big South 1st Team.
2007: Big South 1st Team,
2006: Big South 1st Team
2005: Big South Freshman of the Year
23 Aaron Johnson Campbell Sr 5′10″ 180 4-time all conference.  He broke the school keeper marks for matches played (74) and started (74), minutes played (6805) and career GAA (1.08). 331 saves are second to Peter Moore’s 406 in the 46-year history of the Camel program. In Atlantic Sun history, Johnson stands second in both career GAA and shutouts. 2008: Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team
2007: Atlantic Sun 1st Team 2006: Atlantic Sun 1st Team.
2005: Co-Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year, 2nd Team, All-Freshman Team.
24 Steve Clark Oakland Sr 6′2″ 190 Student body president. 3 year starter.  Led the Summit League in 2008 with 10 shutouts and 0.58 goals against average.2008: Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team. 
2007: Summit League 1st Team
25 Drew Healy Penn Sr 6′0″   Two year starter.  Set a Penn record with 11 shutouts in 2008.  0.63 GAA this year.2008: Ivy 2nd Team.
26 Filipe Carvalho Georgia State Sr 6′2 185 Brazilian.  First Georgia State men’s soccer player in history to be named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team since State joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005.2008: Colonial Athletic Association 1st Team
27 Justin Burse Fairfield Gr 6′4″ 200 A Fordham graduate, playing at Fairfield while a graduate student. 2006: red-shirt. 
2005: A-10 Honorable Mention.
28 Brendan Fitzgerald Duke Sr 6′2″ 180 1 year starter at a highly prestigious program like Duke is worth something.  Played previous two seasons behind Papadakis. 2005: red-shirt

Categories: Features.




4 Comments

  1. Comment by Tinny on January 14, 2009 1:38 PM

    It will be very interesting if FCD chooses Justin Burse who happens to be Ray Burse’s brother.
    Thanks for keeping us posted on the combine events.

  2. Comment by John on January 14, 2009 6:27 PM

    I think that I can say with absolute certainty that that won’t happen. Why would they, there are much better keepers in front of him.

  3. Comment by other Alex on January 14, 2009 7:56 PM

    Buzz,
    This kid can play anywhere in the World, with the right coaching. This is what Coopers dad believes, he has watched him closely. He is managed by Mike Stankovic, who was Cooper’s assistant in Baltimore for many years.

  4. Comment by other Alex on January 14, 2009 7:58 PM

    I am talking about Milos Kosic from Maryland.

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