The Washington Spirit’s Aubrey Bledsoe is once again the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.
Spirit fingers makin' saves all year 🙌@AubreyBledsoe taking home back-to-back Goalkeeper of the Year awards 👏 pic.twitter.com/ugyReukhRy— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 18, 2021
Spirit fingers makin' saves all year 🙌@AubreyBledsoe taking home back-to-back Goalkeeper of the Year awards 👏 pic.twitter.com/ugyReukhRy
It’s Bledsoe’s second-straight Goalkeeper of the Year award after having been tabbed the top goaltender in the league following the 2019 regular season. (The award was not given out in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.)
The goalkeeper started in all 22 of the regular-season matches she appeared, holding down the net with a 79.8 distribution rate and a 78.8 percent save clip while saving 78 shots on the year. Through seven clean sheets, she held the last line of defense for a team that conceded less than a goal a game on average throughout the season.
In October, Bledsoe recorded 20 saves and three clean sheets as the Spirit went an undefeated 4-0-1 on the month.
Interestingly, Bledsoe was not named to the NWSL Best XI first or second team. The goalkeeper nods instead went to NJ/NY Gotham FC keeper Kailen Sheridan and Portland Thorns FC goaltender Bella Bixby who finished second and third in voting for Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively.