In part four of my year in review series, we take a look at the top goaltenders in the 2015 NCAA season. Goaltenders, in my opinion, are the most important player on a lacrosse team. They are the last line of defense, and a great one can decide if teams win close games or not.
- Tom Carey – Ohio State
Ohio State was an up-and-down team for most of the season, but ended up in the Big Ten Championship game against Hopkins, thanks to the redshirt sophomore. The Buckeye recorded a .513 save percentage on the season and helped the team go to the NCAA Quarterfinals against Denver, after upsetting Duke in the First Round.
- Sam Somers – Army West Point
Army West Point’s team MVP had another great year in his third as the Black Knights starting keeper. The First Team All-Patriot league goaltender recorded a .514 save percentage and started in all 17 games this season, leading Army to the Patriot League Championship game.
- Jack Kelly – Brown
Brown was known for their very fast paced offense under new offensive coordinator Sean Kirwan, who came from Tufts and implemented the same offense that he used with the Jumbos. But with such a fast offense, which was sometimes inefficient, the Bears had a great goaltender in Jack Kelly. The First Team All-Ivy recorded a .554 save percentage in 17 games this season, leading the Bears to the NCAA First Round in Denver against the eventual National Champion Pioneers.
- Eric Schneider – Johns Hopkins
It was a wild season for the seasoned goaltender, as he had a rough beginning of the season, only to play like one of the best goaltenders in the nation when the Blue Jays were playing for their lives beginning after the loss to Ohio State. Schneider recorded a .489 save percentage for the season, but was outstanding in the playoffs, leading Hopkins to the Final Four.
- Gunner Waldt – Bryant
Bryant didn’t start the season off very well, but the Third Team All-American was outstanding throughout, leading the Bulldogs to another NEC Championship and a birth in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Marist in a Play-In game. The junior was fifth in the nation in save percentage with .578.
- Bobby Wardwell – Syracuse
Although many people thought that there would be a goaltending battle between Wardwell and OCC transfer Warren Hill, Wardwell was the starter for the entire season. The Honorable Mention All-American recorded a .518 save percentage for the ACC champion Orange and played a vital role during the season.
- Tyler White – Towson
One of the nation’s top defenses came in the form of the CAA champion Towson Tigers, led by goaltender Tyler White. The Third Team All-American recorded a .567 save percentage on the season, and helped Towson play a tough game against top seeded Notre Dame in the NCAA First Round, nearly upsetting the Irish.
- Matt Barrett – Virginia
Matt Barrett is one of the top three goaltenders in the entire nation, as we saw this year and last year. The Second Team All-American recorded a .538 save percentage for a Cavalier team filled with many injuries and an inexperienced defense, but still kept the Cavs in many games this year, such as Syracuse and Loyola. It’ll be tough to get balls past Barrett again next year for sure.
- Ryan LaPlante – Denver
Ryan LaPlante jumps on this list because of his postseason run. Unlike Barrett, where his team fell apart against Hopkins, LaPlante helped the Pioneers win the National Championship with a .539 save percentage. He shined on Championship Weekend, especially against Notre Dame.
- Kyle Bernlohr – Maryland
Who knew Kyle Bernlohr would be a household name in college lacrosse at the end of the season. The junior who transferred from UMBC this season was a First Team All-American and led the nation’s top defense with a .571 save percentage, leading the Terps to the National Championship game against Denver.
