Messiah's Larson breaks NCAA career shutout record
By D3soccer.com staff writers
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| Messiah's record-setting goalkeeper Audra Larson has 60 shutous in 82 games Photo: Messiah College Athletics |
While winning and finding success is nothing new to the Messiah women's soccer team, history was made on Tuesday against Eastern University; senior goalkeeper Audra Larson broke the all-time shutout record across all NCAA divisions of men's and women's soccer when she was credited with the 60th clean sheet of her career.
Larson passed the mark set by Chelsea Praise who recorded 59 shutouts in 101 games playing for Division II side Grand Valley College. The 2013 graduate's record stood for a little over two seasons. Larson finished the 2014 season one shutout ahead of UCLA senior Katelyn Rowland who broke the Division I record on her way to a career tally of 55 shutouts in 90 games.
Making Larson's record all the more impressive is that she reached 60 shutouts in just 82 career games. Her 73% shutout rate exceeds that of all others on the career shutout leaderboard (see list below) except for her predecessor at Messiah, Autumn Reilly, the three-year starter who kept 54 clean sheets in 61 games, an incredible 89%.
The record was set as the newly minted No. 1 Messiah women concluded their four-game road trip with a 4-0 blanking of Eastern. So far this season, Larson has registered four shutouts in seven games to add to her previous hauls of 22 in 2012, 18 in 2013, and 16 in 2014. The historic personal accomplishment reflects how successful and strong the entire Falcons defense has been during Larson’s four years between the pipes.
Larson now has the opportunity increase her record tally with each and every game Messiah plays. Eleven regular season games remain for the Falcons before entering postseason play. Given their history of success in both the Commonwealth Conference tournament and the NCAA tournament, Larson could have as many as eight additional opportunities to add to the career mark that all other collegiate goalkeepers will be chasing.
| NCAA CAREER SHUTOUT LEADERS | |||||
| Player (School) | NCAA Division | Years | Games | Shutouts | Percent |
| Audra Larson (Messiah) | Div. III Women | 2012-15 | 82 | 60 | 73% |
| Chelsea Parise (Grand Valley St.) | Div. II Women | 2009-12 | 101 | 59 | 58% |
| Katelyn Rowland (UCLA) | Div. I Women | 2011-14 | 90 | 55 | 61% |
| Autumn Reilly (Messiah) | Div. III Women | 2008-11 | 61 | 54 | 89% |
| Tara Carter (Otterbein) | Div. III Women | 2007-10 | 86 | 54 | 63% |
| David Meves (Akron) | Div. I Men | 2009-12 | 94 | 54 | 57% |
| Heather Taggart (Wisconsin) | Div. I Women | 1988-91 | 76 | 52 | 68% |
| Josh Ford (UConn) | Div. I Men | 2007-10 | 85 | 50 | 59% |
| Bo Oshoniyi (Southern Conn. St.) | Div. II Men | 1990-93 | -- | 50 | -- |
| Kerry Edwards (Dallas Baptist) | Div. II Women | 2011-14 | 89 | 48 | 54% |
| Jessica Clarke (TCNJ) | Div. III Women | 2006-09 | 91 | 48 | 53% |
| Chantal Jones (Virginia) | Div. I Women | 2007-11 | 91 | 47 | 52% |
| Mac Church (Ohio Northern) | Div. III Men | 2009-12 | 98 | 47 | 48% |
| Note: Division III players in boldface | |||||
