As we get closer to the start of the season State of the Union will be looking to inform fellow Hearts fans of some interesting coaches and players in the USL1 and US Soccer who may make excellent additions to our matchday squad.
In soccer circles it is often debated who is the most important player on the field. While one can argue in favor of any position, undoubtably the goalkeeper can make it or break it for a club's season. State of the Union has reviewed several keepers from the US Soccer universe and some local collegiate talent. While certainly not all these players qualify as a first-choice goalkeeper, their talent and/or proximity make them attractive for the team to pursue.
USSF Division 3 Veterans:
United Soccer League
Brooks Thompson (Hartford Athletic)
A 22-year old hailing from Jefferson, Indiana, Brooks Thompson has been a goalkeeper for Hartford Athletic on loan to Spokane Velocity since earlier this year. As a youth, Thompson played for the IMG Academy as part of the US Soccer Development Academy program. In 2017, his talents caught the attention of scouts from Sporting Kansas City which led to his joining Sporting’s youth academy in that year. While signed with the Missouri club, Thompson played in the USLC with the team’s reserve club Swope Park Rangers with 12 appearances during the 2019-2021 seasons. Thompson next played for Philadelphia Union II and North Carolina on loan racking up another 17 appearances over the 2023 season conceding an average of 1.27 goals per game with 4 clean sheets and 54 saves. As a member of North Carolina, Thompson also won the USL1 Championship.
Thompson currently has an estimated transfer value of $162K which makes him among the highest value goalkeepers in the USL1. Acquiring such a player may be worth the effort if Hartford is willing to part ways with him and assuming Hearts may be willing to pay a transfer fee. Whether or not Hartford will bite or not is the question. Renan Robeiro, Hartford’s primary goalkeeper is now 34 and long-term plans for his replacement are no doubt a priority for the club. Hartford’s 2 other goalkeepers in their organization do not seem as ready for primetime but in lower league soccer anything can happen. If it does, Thompson would be an excellent addition to the inaugural squad.
United Soccer League
Edward Delgado (Northern Colorado Hailstorm)
Hailing from the city of Oxnard, California, 26-year old keeper Edward Delgado is the unquestioned hero of this year’s Jagermeister Cup Final. The man between the post’s for NoCo cemented his reputation as one of the best players in the league when he blocked the shot of Forward Madison’s Crull to win it for the Windsor side. Statistically speaking, Delgado has allowed 33 goals in 30 matches across all competitions with 9 clean sheets. Prior to his time in Colorado, Delgado spent time with both Phoenix Rising and Las Vegas Lights in the USLC making a total of 11 first team appearances between the 2 sides. Delgado has been highly praised by his current manager, Eamon Zayed who has called him one of the best keepers in the League.
From a transfer market point of view, Delgado’s worth comes out to $195k dollars making him the most expensive keeper on this list. That said, Delgado, much like his coach Zayed, would most come to Portland via a relatively unfortunate path. As has been reported, Northern Colorado Hailstorm’s ownership is currently undergoing significant financial difficulties and their survival has been questioned. If the USL follows prior precedent, if the team folds most likely the League would release all players and staff as free agents which would be a boon to the expansion franchises. Delgado’s recent performance may make him difficult to acquire, however, given that he will certainly be attracting USLC and possibly international attention. That said, if he does find himself playing at Fitzpatrick it would certainly be a show worth seeing.
United Soccer League
Wallis Lapsley (Union Omaha)
A 27-year old son of Seattle, Wallis Lapsley has been the secondary goalkeeper at Union Omaha since the beginning of the season. Lapsley has been primarily used as a Cup goalkeeper throughout the season and has made 6 appearances conceding 9 goals with 2 clean sheets. Prior to his time in Omaha, the UC Davis graduate competed with Tucson, and the Seattle Sounders where he was an occasional starting goalkeeper of their reserve squad, the Tacoma Defiance. Lapsley’s most memorable season was his 2020-2021 season with Tucson where he started 28 matches conceding 42 goals with 4 clean sheets.
Lapsley has been estimated to be worth a transfer fee of $100k which is respectable especially when considering his limited playing time this past season. Depending on his contract length Lapsley may be interested in moving to a club which will give him additional playing time and an opportunity to become a central part of a squad. His experience in the USL and American soccer more broadly would allow him to be a mentor to younger players which are so important to lower level teams.
United Soccer League
Mitch North (Irvine Zeta)
Our sole representative of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) on this list, Mitch North’s ability to play professional football cuts through the chaos that tends to be associated with the League for which he plays. The 29-year-old has been the goalkeeper for Irvine Zeta of California since the beginning of this season. Over that time, the Portland, Oregon native has conceded only 14 goals in 18 matches an impressive 9 of which were clean sheets. Prior to his time with Zeta, North spent most of a year with CV Fuego in USL1 where he had a rough season conceding 40 goals in 24 matches although given recent reporting on long-time stressful conditions at CV Fuego this may explain the underperformance. North has also played for professional side Cal United and was a product of the Portland Timbers academy.
North has had a solid career in lower division soccer and would likely be an inspired choice to be our man between the posts. When North left CV Fuego his value was assessed at $162k dollars although given the short nature of lower league contracts he may be able to be acquired on a free at the end of the NISA season. A particular interesting fact about North is he has never played for an east coast team which hopefully may be of interest to him. NISA’s penchant for the chaotic may also help drive a decision to move over to the USL although rumors regarding their League’s implosion have been recently refuted. Nonetheless, the USL has proven to be a more stable league over the last few years and North certainly would be a welcome addition to any side seeking an experienced keeper.
Francesco Montali (Minnesota United 2)
24-year-old Francesco Montali has been a goalkeeper with Minnesota United’s reserve team Minnesota United 2 since July when he transferred to the team from Vermont Green FC. The Davie, Florida born player has had a rough start to his MLSNP career with 16 goals conceded across 5 matches. Many followers of Montali’s collegiate and USL2 career may be surprised by this stumble. During his time at Boston University, he assembled a record 19 clean sheets over 47 matches with honors including being a member of the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team. Over the summer, Montali was the primary keeper for Vermont Green which had a contentious three-way battle for supremacy against Seacoast United and Western MA in the most challenging USL2 Division. During his time in Vermont he conceded only 1 goal in 5 games.
Montali was only signed to a 1-year contract with Minnesota United and come December 31, his fate is his own. While his current performance is somewhat cause for concern, reserve team play can be very different from an independent league like the USL. The fact Montali could come to Portland free of charge would certainly be attractive to Hearts’ leadership. The question would be could we expect Montali to perform and deliver or is professional play just outside his reach?
New England Collegiate Talent:
University of New Hampshire
Erik Lauta (University of New Hampshire)
Hailing from Aptos. California, UNH Senior Erik Lauta has been the first choice goalkeeper of the Wildcats for this season. In his 12 matches thus far this season, Lauta has only allowed an average .95 goals per match with three clean sheets. Prior to his time in Durham, Lauta also played for collegiate side Tufts where he started in 39 games with 21 clean sheets and 116 saves. While not playing for his college sides, Lauta has also spent time playing in the Monterey Bay FC system as a member of their USL2 team Monterey Bay FC 2.
The University of New Hampshire was ranked the 9th best collegiate soccer program in the country at the beginning of the season which makes their top keeper someone to keep in mind. Provided he has no further academic plans, Lauta will be finishing his college career within the next few months which would make him available for service to Hearts if not by the beginning of season than by June. A bonus is Lauta's experience in Monterey Bay’s system which exposed him to USL teams. Typically USL2 contracts are only for 1 given summer but their remains a possibility that Monterey Bay may retain interests in Lauta which could lead to a bidding war when he becomes a free agent.
Antreas Hadjigavreal (Bryant University)
22-year-old Cypriot U21 international Antreas Hadjigavriel has been serving as a collegiate player at Bryant University since 2022. During his time at Bryant, Hadjigavriel has started 22 games and only allowed 6 goals with 51 saves. For his achievements, he was named to the All-America East Second Team and was the America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Prior to his time in the United States, he played for both Olympiakos Nicosia in his home nation and represented his country in 29 international appearances in various age brackets. During his time in Cyprus he won several awards for his youth playing.
Hadjigavriel’s position as one of the best collegiate goalkeepers in New England would make him an attractive signing option for Hearts. Like Lauta, however, Hadjigavriel does have close contact with another USL club as Rhode Island FC currently plays and practices on the Bryant campus. Its unclear what his plans are once his collegiate career ends in the next few months but given his accomplishments at Bryant he could be an attractive option for expansion teams in the League.
United Soccer League
Lukas Burns (Providence College)
22-year-old Lukas Burns has been the starting goalkeeper for Providence College for the past 2 seasons. A native of Cinnaminson, NJ, Burns has started 63 matches for the Friars and has spent his entire collegiate career with the team. Over that time, he achieved a 1.15 goals allowed average with a slightly better 1.09 goals allowed average in 2024 play. Numerous personal honors have been bestowed on Burns including several Big East Goalkeeper of the Week awards and inclusion in the All-Big East Second Team. Prior to his time in Providence, Burns spent time in the Philadelphia Union Academy and started pre-season matches with Philadelphia Union 2. He has also spent time in USL 2 with Real Central New Jersey.
Burns' time in Providence coupled with his experience in a MLS academy has set him up well to join a USL1 squad provided he is available. Burns is currently enrolled in a graduate program whose end date is not publicly available although based on his playing time he will soon exhaust his NCAA eligibility. Depending on the structure of his program, he may not be able to be a full-time player but there are several programs in higher education (and the USL system for that matter) that permit individuals to play and complete their studies. The second obstacle comes in Burns proximity to Rhode Island FC. Providence College players have already been recruited and signed by the Pawtucket club and that relationship may very well continue. With that in mind, it would be best to scout Burns’ ability if Rhode Island also decides to come calling.
University of Vermont
Lou Liedtka (University of Vermont)
University of Vermont Graduate Student Lou Liedtka has been one of the starting Goalkeeper for the Catamounts since the beginning of the 2024 season. Since his arrival, he accumulated a 1.00 goals allowed average and had 3 clean sheets. A native of Wyncote, Pennsylvania prior to his time at UVM, Liedtka played for Davidson College in North Carolina where he posted a save percentage of .773 with 7 clean sheets over 23 games. Liedtka has been primarily playing as a reserve keeper but has been getting significant playing time while German Niklas Herceg has been out with injuries. UVM is widely believed to have the best shot of winning their conference this year. Liedkta also had USL experience with FC Carolinas in the USL2.
Like Burns, Liedtka’s availability comes highly contingent on the structure of his graduate program and his desire to continue soccer after his collegiate career. His exposure to the USL2 may indicate he does want to extend his career and play professionally. UVM has been a particularly good space for players to grow, especially since the addition of the UVM-dominated Vermont Green to the USL 2. Several players from UVM have been signed by MLS and USL programs over the last few years and Liedtka could very well join their ranks when his college career ends.
Reach Targets:
Austin Football Club
Marcus Alstrup (Austin FC II)
20-year-old Danish keeper Marcus Alstrup has been primary keeper for Austin FC’s reserve team, Austin FC II, since the beginning of the MLSNP season. In his time at Austin, he has appeared 21 times conceding 33 goals with 5 clean sheets. During his time in Denmark, Alstrup was called up to his country’s youth teams on 9 occasions and played in both youth and reserve ranks of Danish professional teams. Notably, he had 1 first team appearance for Sonderjyske. He was part of a U-19 squad which won the Danish Youth Championship in 2020.
Alstrup clearly has the potential to grow as a player given his young age and it would be an excellent player to develop at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Given the nature of lower league soccer, Portland would be an excellent place for Alstrup to make a name for himself before moving on to bigger and brighter opportunities (such is the nature of the sport). That said, Alstrup would require a significant upfront investment – he is signed with Austin through the 2025 season with a current transfer value at $130k dollars. In the context of USL1 that is a commanding sum and would require significant return on investment. This would make Alstrup a reach target for Hearts but one which may pay off in the future if Alstrup wishes to be part of a historic first-season.
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