2025-06-09, 08:31 PM - Word count:
(This post was last modified: 2025-06-09, 08:32 PM by Thunder39.)
SSL Academy Keepers: Season in Review
As the SSL Academy season comes to an end and players look forward to the upcoming draft, we take a moment to look back at the performance of the keepers this past season. In reviewing the season, one thing was clear: goaltending played a major role in separating contenders from pretenders. No keeper proved more integral to his team’s success than Snor Lax of Sydney City FC, who backstopped his club to the Academy championship.
Snor Lax - Sydney FC
Snor Lax wasn't just solid, he was leading the pack for a good portion of the season. Across 15 starts, the Sydney City FC netminder posted a standout 7.48 average rating, the best of any regular starter in the Academy. His 73.13% save percentage and 35 goals conceded gave Sydney City a stable base to build from in every match. Perhaps most impressive: he registered four clean sheets, the most among his peers. Sydney’s title win doesn’t land solely on Lax’s shoulders, but it’s hard to argue they would have reached the summit without him. Whether it was a one-on-one breakaway save or organizing a shaky backline, Lax did it all. His name belongs in the conversation for goalkeeper of the year.
Maverick Jones - Atletico Medellin
Atletico Medellin’s Maverick Jones had one of the more baffling stat lines of the season. On paper, his 6.73 average rating doesn’t scream elite, and a 52.43% save percentage with 49 goals conceded over 15 appearances confirms the inconsistency. Yet, Medellin still managed six wins, good for a solid return in a congested table. Jones’ numbers were weighed down by some high-scoring defeats, and his lone clean sheet this year suggests that even when Medellin kept the score down, it was more a team effort than a goalie clinic. Still, for any major club looking to draft Jones for the future, the raw tools are there; the polish is next.
Chicken McTendie - Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls FC's Chicken McTendie was frequently under siege this season. 60 goals conceded in 15 matches is a tough pill to swallow. His 59.18% save percentage shows some fight, the absence of a single clean sheet casts a shadow over his season overall. That said, McTendie’s average rating, identical to Jones at 6.73, suggests that his performances were not always the problem. A porous defense gave him little support, and his seven losses came despite some respectable individual efforts. He’s the kind of keeper who should flourish in a better system as he looks to the majors.
Stun Gun Jr. - Stockholm
Few players made more with a limited window than Stun Gun Jr., who suited up just four times for Stockholm and finished with a 2W-1L-1D record and a clean sheet. He made his case for a larger role. While his save percentage was an uninspiring 44%, an average rating of 6.45 indicates he wasn’t a liability. He made good use of his time in a short season. One that should draw attention heading into the draft.
The SSL Academy season may be over, but the evaluation of its brightest prospects is just beginning and if this year was any indication, the battle between the posts might just be the most compelling storyline heading into next season's minors league.
As the SSL Academy season comes to an end and players look forward to the upcoming draft, we take a moment to look back at the performance of the keepers this past season. In reviewing the season, one thing was clear: goaltending played a major role in separating contenders from pretenders. No keeper proved more integral to his team’s success than Snor Lax of Sydney City FC, who backstopped his club to the Academy championship.
Snor Lax - Sydney FC
Snor Lax wasn't just solid, he was leading the pack for a good portion of the season. Across 15 starts, the Sydney City FC netminder posted a standout 7.48 average rating, the best of any regular starter in the Academy. His 73.13% save percentage and 35 goals conceded gave Sydney City a stable base to build from in every match. Perhaps most impressive: he registered four clean sheets, the most among his peers. Sydney’s title win doesn’t land solely on Lax’s shoulders, but it’s hard to argue they would have reached the summit without him. Whether it was a one-on-one breakaway save or organizing a shaky backline, Lax did it all. His name belongs in the conversation for goalkeeper of the year.
Maverick Jones - Atletico Medellin
Atletico Medellin’s Maverick Jones had one of the more baffling stat lines of the season. On paper, his 6.73 average rating doesn’t scream elite, and a 52.43% save percentage with 49 goals conceded over 15 appearances confirms the inconsistency. Yet, Medellin still managed six wins, good for a solid return in a congested table. Jones’ numbers were weighed down by some high-scoring defeats, and his lone clean sheet this year suggests that even when Medellin kept the score down, it was more a team effort than a goalie clinic. Still, for any major club looking to draft Jones for the future, the raw tools are there; the polish is next.
Chicken McTendie - Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls FC's Chicken McTendie was frequently under siege this season. 60 goals conceded in 15 matches is a tough pill to swallow. His 59.18% save percentage shows some fight, the absence of a single clean sheet casts a shadow over his season overall. That said, McTendie’s average rating, identical to Jones at 6.73, suggests that his performances were not always the problem. A porous defense gave him little support, and his seven losses came despite some respectable individual efforts. He’s the kind of keeper who should flourish in a better system as he looks to the majors.
Stun Gun Jr. - Stockholm
Few players made more with a limited window than Stun Gun Jr., who suited up just four times for Stockholm and finished with a 2W-1L-1D record and a clean sheet. He made his case for a larger role. While his save percentage was an uninspiring 44%, an average rating of 6.45 indicates he wasn’t a liability. He made good use of his time in a short season. One that should draw attention heading into the draft.
The SSL Academy season may be over, but the evaluation of its brightest prospects is just beginning and if this year was any indication, the battle between the posts might just be the most compelling storyline heading into next season's minors league.
![[Image: Snor-Lax-Rova-20250905075714-2.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/50PHFkYR/Snor-Lax-Rova-20250905075714-2.jpg)
