FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It may be hard to single out one factor that has put the New England Revolution one win away from clinching their second straight playoff spot heading into Saturday’s away matchup against the Montreal Impact (4 pm ET; UDN, TSN2 in Canada).
It undoubtedly takes a complete effort, but there is no denying the contributions of goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, who time and time again has kept New England alive in close matches.
“It’s him finding his top form,” coach Jay Heaps told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “This year he’s really pushed for his spot. He’s always a fighter, and that’s someone you want to have back there.”
It has been a long journey for the 27-year-old Shuttleworth to get to this point, having bided his time behind Matt Reis for five previous seasons. In 2013, he got a greater chance to show what he is capable of, starting in 22 matches and posting nine shutouts and a 1.30 goals against average.
“I think last year brought me invaluable experience,” said Shuttleworth. “I knew what the grind was going to be stepping in this year and being able to play in all these game.”
After Reis decided to hang up his cleats after last season, Shuttleworth was given the crack at the No. 1 slot. But he had to earn it with the inclusion of Brad Knighton to the roster.
Ultimately, Shuttleworth said, that proved to be for the best.
“Probably my second year in the league I was trying to prepare myself to be a No. 1,” said Shuttleworth.
“It goes back to the goalkeepers pushing each other,” Heaps said. “That competition is always there at training. Every day in training Bobby is communicating, talking and never taking a day off.”
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This season Shuttleworth has started all but two games for the Revs, backed by a 1.28 goals against average having allowed just 37 goals in 2,610 minutes of play.
More importantly, he has stepped up down the stretch, leading the team to an 8-2-1 mark following their eight-game slide over the summer, allowing just 10 goals and making 30 saves – many of the “very big” variety during that span.
“He’s been here for a while, but he’s battled for everything,” said Heaps. “When we knew Matt Reis was retiring, we felt we had a pretty good option in Bobby.”
