Syracuse goalkeeper Alex Bono has emerged as a reputable Hermann Award contender and successful it will put him alongside among the greatest American goalkeepers ever. ASN’s Brooke Tunstall explains.
BY
Brooke Tunstall
Posted
October 16, 2014
5:24 PM
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BRAD FRIEDEL. TONY MEOLA. For American goalkeepers, these names are soccer royalty, and Alex Bono adamantly refuses to place himself of their class.
However earlier than they starred for the U.S. nationwide crew, performed in World Cups, and gained myriad trophies with their membership groups, each Meola and Friedel had been faculty standouts at Virginia and UCLA, respectively, and so they stay the one goalkeepers to ever win the MAC Hermann Award, faculty soccer’s annual participant of the 12 months honor.
Primarily based on the season he’s having to date, Bono, 20, a junior goalkeeper for 12-1-0 Syracuse, is a reputable Hermann contender, and successful the award would—no less than on the collegiate degree—put him alongside that esteemed firm.
“I can’t think of myself in their category. Those guys are legends,” mentioned Bono, a six-foot-three native of Baldwinsville, N.Y., who’s in his third season as a starter. “You can’t compare what I’ve done this year to what they’ve done.”
As professionals and nationwide crew gamers, no.
However Bono’s numbers to date this season rival these of any goalkeeper in Division I historical past, together with Meola and Friedel. By way of 13 video games Bono has registered 10 shutouts and allowed simply three targets. His 0.23 goals-against common and 0.93 save-percentage lead the nation and are difficult NCAA information for every class.
Regardless of the gaudiness of his stats, Bono is nonplussed.
“There’s still a ways to go in the season and a lot of good teams left to play. Those numbers could change fast if we have a let up at all,” mentioned Bono, a broadcast journalism main in Syracuse’s prestigious Newhouse Faculty. “I know it’s a cliché, but we really are just trying to win one game at a time and get better each game. I try to stay away from record and award talk as much as I can.
“Right now it doesn’t mean anything.”
It helps Bono’s shot on the Hermann that he’s placing up these numbers whereas enjoying within the Atlantic Coast Convention, which Syracuse joined in 2013. The ACC is to varsity soccer what the SEC is to soccer—the hardest convention within the nation. The Orange presently sit atop its standings and its No. 4 RPI rating is the best of any ACC faculty.
“It’s the most competitive and best quality league in the country,” mentioned Bono. “Three of the Final Four teams and the national champion last year were from the ACC, which speaks to the level and how good the conference is. To be in a conference like the ACC means you’re playing against the best players in the country and being tested every game.”
Additionally serving to Bono’s Hermann case is that few attacking gamers—who often declare the award—are having the kinds of seasons that makes them apparent frontrunners. Saint Louis senior Robbie Kristo and Georgetown junior Brandon Allen every have 9 targets whereas Washington senior Darwin Jones (8 targets, 4 assists) and Penn State sophomore Connor Maloney (8 targets, 2 assists) seemingly benefit some Hermann consideration, as properly.
In the meantime UCLA senior midfielder Leo Stolz, a finalist for the award final 12 months who is taken into account top-of-the-line professional prospects in faculty soccer, has put up modest stats to date—5 targets, zero assists. One darkish horse might be Oregon State senior Khiry Shelton, who has amassed seven targets and 10 assists, although he padded his numbers with two tallies and three assists towards Division II Northwest Christian.
Good numbers, sure. However not the sort that separate them from the pack, thus creating a gap {that a} goalkeeper on a record-challenging tempo might fill.
“The best chance to win awards is to be on good teams,” mentioned Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre. “That’s got to be the focus, not just (Bono’s) but the entire team. But having said that, Alex has done everything we’ve asked him of him, really, not just this year but since he got here.”
Bono has began each sport since arriving on campus. He made a number of All Freshman groups in 2012 when he posted a 0.85 GAA with 10 shutouts and, extra importantly, helped the Orange to the spherical of 16 of the NCAA Event. Final 12 months Syracuse struggled because it adjusted to the ACC. The membership went 7-0-0 exterior the convention however 3-7-1 in it and missed the NCAA match. Bono, nevertheless, posted a 1.03 GAA with eight shutouts and was third-team All ACC.
“We threw him in the deep end his first year here. Since day one, he continues to get better and is becoming a very good college goalkeeper,” mentioned McIntyre. “Each year his training habits are better and he’s carrying those over to the games. Goalkeepers are like pilots, they get better with experience and air miles. He’s had that here at Syracuse. Alex tends to always make the big save when it’s needed.”
Bono can be benefitting from enjoying behind a veteran protection. This 12 months McIntyre switched to a-3-5-2 formation with a veteran backline that options Skylar Thomas and Jordan Murrell, seniors from close by Ontario, and Tyler Hilliard, a redshirt junior from Georgia. In addition to main the nation’s stingiest protection, the trio has additionally mixed for seven targets and 7 assists (with six of the helpers coming from Murrell).
“They’ve been terrific this year. Honestly, they deserve more of the credit than I do,” mentioned Bono. “It’s huge to have the veterans in front of me because they know the ropes. Having their experience only adds to us as a defense and makes us better.”
Enjoying a 3-5-2 additionally helps, Bono contends. “Because of their experience, we can afford to put another man in the midfield and that helps us going forward and keeping pressure off us,” he mentioned. “I think (playing a 3-5-2) has also helped me as a goalkeeper. It gives me more responsibility, both organizationally and with my feet.”
Regardless of his accolades, Bono in some way hasn’t gotten a lot recognition from U.S. youth nationwide groups. In highschool he was in some camps with the U-18 nationwide crew however was by no means known as as much as the U-20 nationwide crew over the last cycle. A call-up to the U-23 nationwide crew stays a risk however “it’s not something I can control so I don’t worry about it.”
That isn’t to counsel Bono is with out professional aspirations. Within the spring of his senior 12 months of highschool, his youth membership, Empire FC, grew to become an affiliate with the New England Revolution and adjusted its identify to Empire Revolution. In line with a 2012 press launch on the time of the announcement, Empire gamers would change into eligible to be signed by the Revolution as homegrown gamers. Nevertheless, Bono mentioned he was advised that solely utilized to gamers who had been with Empire starting the season he was already in faculty.
“The way in which (the Revolution) defined it to me, if it had occurred a 12 months earlier I’d have been (homegrown) eligible however they don’t assume I’m as a result of (the affiliation) occurred too late in my senior 12 months (of highschool). However there’s lots of grey space too, they mentioned, so that you by no means know.”
(“There’s a lot of gray area so you never know” might be the official MLS motto in terms of participant acquisition guidelines.)
Nevertheless, as a part of the affiliation association Bono has skilled with the Revolution and even performed in a reserve crew sport in the summertime of 2012.
“I trained with them for a week that summer and again for a week this summer,” he mentioned. “It was an awesome expertise and I bought some actually nice suggestions from the Revolution coaches. It’s a degree I aspire to be at and I believe I can play at that degree. I nonetheless have some issues I can enhance on to get to there however I believe I can grasp at that degree.”
Even when he can’t get a homegrown supply from the Revolution, his season will most probably get some curiosity in a Technology Adidas supply to depart faculty early. “It’s not something I’m looking to do but I would certainly listen and if it’s a good offer I’d seriously think about it,” Bono mentioned.
Which brings us again to the aforementioned American goalkeeping royalty. Each Meola and Friedel left faculty early however they did so with one factor Bono isn’t shy about coveting, a nationwide championship.
“That’s the goal,” he mentioned. “When you do well in this conference you have a shot at the Final Four and after that, anything’s possible. Winning that would mean so much more than any individual award.”
What are your ideas on Bono’s Hermann possibilities? Ought to he be allowed to signal a homegrown contract with the Revolution? Barring that, ought to MLS make him a Technology Adidas supply? Give us your take beneath.
Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter
