Cushing: "Barraza has become a leader of the squad"

Luis Barraza started the campaign between the sticks and held that position after a string of good performances that didn't go unnoticed by his manager.

"I think we wanted to give Luis the opportunity to play," Nick Cushing said.

“We knew we would recruit a goalkeeper in the offseason. When we decided to give Luis a chance, we decided to bring in Matt Freese as a direct competitor for him.

“He's worked so hard and we know he's been developed here, so we know his capabilities and his skill set.

“The one thing that's out there is his mindset and his ability to sustain performance and deal with setbacks. I was really happy with him.

“I think he has shown real growth in the first period of the season. All we can ask him is to keep working hard and he is doing it again today and on the pitch.

“He has become a leader in the locker room. He's very vocal and has a real desire to keep getting better."