With the MLL Collegiate Draft getting set to take place in just eight short days on Friday January 10th, 2014, we here at In Lacrosse We Trust are going to look at the top players at each position. This week we are looking at the offensive side of the ball, specifically at the last line of the defense, the goalies.
Last year’s crop of seniors coming into the MLL was really just Dillon Ward and everyone else. Ward was actually the only goalie to even make an MLL roster last season as Johns Hopkins’ Pierce Bassett, Towson’s Andrew Wascavage and even Notre Dame’s John Kemp all went undrafted and unsigned.
This season looks to have a much stronger crop for MLL-needy teams. There are three goalies that could legitimately be drafted and a couple others that could at least be signed for the future. These goalies also may not crack the rotation in their first couple of seasons because of who is still in the league, but watch out for these names down the road.
Here are the best goaltenders in the nation to keep an eye on as the 2014 season progresses.
Niko Amato, Maryland—Has been a mainstay in the starting lineup for the Terps and one of the many reasons they have been so successful during his tenure there. He was fifth in the nation last year in save percentage (.594) and ranked ninth in goals against average (7.98). I liken him to a small Scott Rodgers. What I mean by that is that he is a big goalie who takes up the cage despite being visibly short. He is stout in close and seems very good at saving the low shots. The Terps will depend heavily on him in 2014.
Austin Kaut, Penn State—This Nittany Lion was a game changer in Happy Valley as he made 10 or more saves 12 times. In those games, the Nittany Lions were 10-2. He also ranked fourth in save percentage at .597 and saves with 184 shots. He was also third in the nation in goals against average at 7.37. Kaut also takes up a lot of cage and has very quick hands. You know he is a great goaltender, and probably the best one in this draft, because he saves a high percentage of the shots he should save and is well above average at saving shots from in close.
Brian Feeney, Penn—Last season he posted a .589 save percentage and ranked third in the nation with a 7.29 goals against average. His best games came against some of the Quakers top competition in Duke and Lehigh. With numbers like that, it is no wonder that he is the leader of the nation’s top ranked defense. Look for him step it up in his last season for the Quakers, especially with the loss of Honorable Mention All-American defenseman Anthony Santomo due to graduation.
Greg Dutton, Ohio State—Do not underestimate Dutton as he was a large part for the Buckeyes success last season. His leadership was invaluable in goal as he helped lead the team to a Top 15 scoring defense that allowed 8.8 goals per game. He also ranked Top 15 in the nation in save percentage (.523) and saved 146 shots on the season. He is a big guy who covers up a lot of the net which helps, especially on shots in close. He will need to improve against better competition, however, as he had sub-.500 save percentages in two games against Denver, Cornell, Virginia and Cornell.
Alex Taylor, Salisbury—Despite playing at the Division III level, he does play at Salisbury which is better than half the Division 1 teams in the nation if they wanted to move up. The guy sees great shooters every day is unquestionably the best goalie in Division III despite what the statistics say. He was ranked 11th in the nation with a .579 save percentage and 176 saves but his competition was much better than other players ahead of him. He has extremely quick hands which helps him recover when he doesn’t step correctly. He should be signed as a free agent if not drafted.
