World-Class Keeper: Olympic soccer star has unique link to CT
Updated: Oct 2
• Soccer Star Alyssa Naeher Has Unique Connection To Farmington Valley
This article is an updated version of the cover story in the September edition of Today Magazine, our monthly publication
By Bruce William Deckert — Today Magazine • Editor-in-Chief
In the aftermath of the 2024 Olympics, U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher has become an international soccer star with distinctive accomplishments that place her in rarefied athletic air — and her last name rhymes with air, so this lead is doubly appropriate.
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
In the arena of global sports icons, Naeher likely isn’t in the same conversation as fellow American Olympic champions such as sprinter Michael Johnson, basketball legend Michael Jordan or swimmer Michael Phelps — unless you’re a true-blue soccer fan.
For fans of the U.S. women’s national team, Alyssa may have superseded all three Michaels in the wake of her performance at the Paris Olympics.
Air Jordan? So old-school.
If you poll American soccer fans today, don’t be surprised if they’re prepared to bestow a sacrosanct moniker on their goalkeeping heroine: Air Naeher.
Let’s consider her extraordinary achievements and unprecedented success — and her singular connection to Connecticut’s Farmington Valley.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Alyssa Naeher is the elder stateswoman for the U.S. women’s team that won the gold medal at the Olympics in August. In high school, she excelled at sports and academics before her stellar college career with the Penn State Nittany Lions.
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
Naeher made two especially pivotal saves when the U.S. women won Olympic gold last month — both on point-blank headers in the game’s waning moments. The U.S. defeated Brazil 1-0 in the gold-medal game, and Naeher’s one-handed save in stoppage time helped secure the victory. In the 1-0 semifinal triumph over Germany, she made an amazing kick save in the final seconds of overtime.
These twin saves and her steady presence for the U.S. women have forged an impressive legacy in global soccer history.
Naeher wears uniform No. 1 for the U.S. women, and she has become the No. 1 keeper in the hearts of countless American soccer fans who have watched her help the U.S. attain three world titles in the past decade — two World Cups and the Olympic gold this year.
The U.S. women have garnered five Olympic gold medals — no other nation has more than one. The women have won four World Cups, the most ever — Germany is next with two. So with her three world titles, Naeher has been present for one-third of the international championships in U.S. women’s soccer history.
She is a keeper, indeed, utilizing the best kind of double meaning.
Before detailing Naeher’s unique association with Connecticut’s Farmington Valley, here’s a rundown of some exceptional distinctions that set her apart — just a few of her claims to fame:
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
• Alyssa Naeher is the only keeper in women’s soccer history to record a shutout in a World Cup final and an Olympic gold-medal match.
• She is the first American soccer keeper to record four shutouts in one Olympic tournament.
• In her professional career, she is the all-time leader in keeper saves and appearances (games played) in the National Women’s Soccer League.
• In college, she was a two-time First Team All-American and Penn State’s first World Cup champion, as the starting keeper for the U-20 national team that won the U-20 World Cup in 2008 — fast-forwarding to 2019, she was the starter for the U.S. senior national team that won the World Cup.
• In high school, she was a Parade All-American and the highest-rated keeper in the country — she also played on the U-16 and U-17 national teams.
Oh, here's one more — Naeher is a nominee for the 2024 women’s Ballon d’Or award (or Golden Ball) given annually to the best player in the world.
SOLO STRATOSPHERE
When the American women won the 2015 World Cup, Naeher was the backup for Hope Solo. That squad received an inaugural honor — the first women’s team to be feted with a ticker-tape parade along New York City’s prestigious Canyon of Heroes.
By the time the U.S. claimed the 2019 World Cup, Naeher was the starting goalkeeper. In December 2014 she appeared in her first U.S. women’s match — officially called a cap — and in that contest she recorded her first U.S. senior team shutout versus Argentina. She became the starter in 2017.
When Naeher took the reins as the starting keeper, the popular opinion was that while she deserved the spot, she was no Hope Solo. Today, given Naeher’s distinctive feats, she is in a solo category all her own, occupying a stratosphere that no other keeper in international soccer history shares.
“I really didn’t let myself think that she would end up in the Olympics and on the world stage — there are so many barriers for the best of athletes to get to that pinnacle” — John Naeher • Alyssa’s dad
Solo, however, still lays claim to her own place in the goalkeeper stratosphere.
Like Naeher, Solo has won three international championships, but for Solo all three were as the U.S. women’s starter — two Olympic gold medals (in 2008 and 2012) and the World Cup in 2015. Since Naeher was Solo’s backup in 2015, Solo surpasses Naeher 2-to-1 in World Cup titles as a starter and in Olympic gold medals. Yet Naeher surpasses Solo 2-to-1 in overall World Cup titles, in 2015 and 2019.
These stats indicate that each keeper has a special place in the American soccer pantheon.
In high school, Naeher was an honor roll student and also a star basketball player, scoring over 2000 career points. She graduated from Trumbull-based Christian Heritage School (aka CHS) in 2006.
“I was born and raised in that school,” Naeher told CT Insider before the 2023 World Cup. “I know the school always does something during the World Cup games and is always very supportive of me — it was very special for me to grow up in an environment that always felt like home and I am still feeling that support.”
CHS has historically been a major sports rival of The Master’s School in West Simsbury, and Master’s has a consequential claim to athletic fame: Master’s soccer field is the only site in the Farmington Valley where global soccer luminary Alyssa Naeher played in high school.
Hallowed sports ground, indeed.
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
John Naeher, Alyssa’s father, was her soccer coach at CHS — and when Today Magazine asked him if Alyssa competed against any other Valley schools, he replied: “I don’t know of any other schools that we played against in your area.”
Master’s is nearly 65 miles from CHS in Trumbull, a town of about 37,000 residents near Long Island Sound, just north of Bridgeport. Master’s hometown is a distinct section of Simsbury, a Valley town northwest of Hartford with an approximate population of almost 25,000.
The two schools have been members of the New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) and the former New England Christian School Athletic Conference (NECSAC). This somewhat long-distance sports rivalry can be attributed to the athletic and academic achievement of two private schools that share a Christian worldview.
The Farmington Valley is no stranger to significant distinctions — here are just three non-sports Valley claims to fame:
• Political dignitary George P. McLean grew up in Simsbury — he served as Connecticut’s governor from 1901-1903 and as a U.S. senator from 1911-1929, and he hosted three U.S. presidents at his expansive Valley wilderness property that today is known as the McLean Game Refuge.
• Iconic civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. worked in Simsbury during the summers of 1944 and 1947 — his first sojourns outside the segregated South profoundly impacted his views of racial equality and his dream of a more just American society for all people.
• Farmington resident Raheem Mullins has been nominated as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court — Governor Ned Lamont’s nomination, announced in late August, needs to be confirmed by the General Assembly.
Meanwhile, after this summer’s Olympic conquest, Alyssa is the chief keeper on the world’s supreme women’s team. Her parents traveled to last year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and to this year’s Olympic tournament in France, hearkening back to her youth soccer days.
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
“My parents drove me all over Connecticut to soccer and basketball tournaments,” she told CT Insider. “It’s a huge commitment for parents and I am so thankful for the opportunities they gave me.”
After last year’s World Cup, when the U.S. women were knocked out earlier than ever before, Alyssa’s dad told News 12 Connecticut: “I’m mostly proud of who she is, and I tell her this all the time. She’s been great at not letting soccer define her — she plays hard, she’s trained hard for years, but she always has worked hard at keeping it in perspective.”
Was Alyssa’s national-team achievement on his radar when she was at CHS?
“As a high school student, I knew she had exceptional abilities and a great work ethic,” John Naeher tells Today Magazine. “But I really didn’t let myself think that she would end up in the Olympics and on the world stage — there are so many barriers for the best of athletes to get to that pinnacle.”
After Alyssa and the U.S. women won the 2015 World Cup, her mom Donna told Fox 61, “You couldn’t script it better — to see your daughter have a dream and have the opportunity, and the blessing to see it fulfilled.”
This summer’s Olympic victory has brought the 10-year blessing full circle.
“Now that the Olympics are behind her,” John says, “I feel that one of her most enduring contributions to the U.S. team will be her steady, work-hard, stay-humble attitude every day. She was never a showy, boisterous player — she simply focused on what she could do, did it to the fullest, worked to be a good teammate and let the rest happen. I fully believe the other girls on the team respected her immensely and readily followed her lead.”
Dr. Robert Naeher — one of John’s brothers and Alyssa’s uncles — sounds a similar theme.
“I’m so proud of her for letting her play speak for itself, and her focus on the team’s success and doing what she can to help her team win and get better,” he tells Today Magazine. “I’m proud of her for modeling for many — boys as well as girls — that being consistently good is really cool in itself ... that showboating is not the measure of greatness.”
Robert Naeher is a history teacher at Avon Old Farms School and was previously a history teacher and high school administrator at Master’s — for his exclusive interview with Today Magazine, see the link at the conclusion of this article.
WINSOME TWINS
Alyssa has two sisters, including her twin Amanda — another Naeher soccer star who was a two-time national player of the year at Division III powerhouse Messiah College (now University). She won two national championships and scored a program-record 108 career goals as a striker. In NCAA soccer history, 100-goal scorers comprise an exclusive club.
"I could not be more proud," Amanda tells Today Magazine regarding her sister's success. "She has been patient and worked hard every day, year after year ... I have loved watching the transformation between quiet backup to one of the staple leaders on the team. From the stands, it's clear her teammates love and respect her. They are quick to celebrate her and ... I love seeing that."
The twins turned 36 years old in April — Amanda is older by two minutes.
“It was awesome — I kind of had a built-in training buddy, a built-in friend … We would just go in the backyard and be out there for hours and hours" — Alyssa Naeher • on growing up with twin Amanda
"She is a true force back there," Amanda says. "Cool, calm, collected but confident and sure. To see her compete and succeed on the biggest stage brings tears to my eyes. She has fought hard and she is a great teammate."
Alyssa and Amanda played sports together at Christian Heritage, coached by their dad: “I had the fun privilege of coaching both of them in soccer and basketball throughout high school,” says John, who previously coached CHS boys soccer and basketball while also serving as the athletic director — currently, he is the school’s director of operations and student life.
When the twins were high school teammates, did Amanda anticipate Alyssa's achievement on the world stage?
"I'm not sure either one of us could have pictured this back then," Amanda tells Today Magazine. "We got a lot of attention for being the twins from the small school, and she had earned a reputation ... throughout the state and region as the top goalkeeper by the end of high school — but to think that she would have a 10-plus year career with the national team ... is truly such an incredible accomplishment."
Amanda is a 2023 inductee in the Messiah University Athletics Hall of Honor.
"She has earned it with her hard work and persistence," Amanda says. "I love to see that she has been able to get the recognition that she would never ask for but has totally earned."
Scott Frey has been the Messiah coach for 25 years and therefore coached Amanda — so he has a unique perspective on the Alyssa-Amanda success phenomenon.
“It’s a classic story,” Frey tells Today Magazine. “Think of those two kids at a small Christian school — the perception is that great athletes come out of big soccer clubs and big schools. This family said [their faith] is most important, and for these girls to achieve that stature and success — that to me is a cool part of this story. How does that happen? Most people would say that couldn’t happen.”
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
By the way, Messiah has competed against Division I programs Bucknell and Lehigh in spring scrimmages, winning most of the time — and once played D-I powerhouse Penn State during Amanda’s tenure, given Alyssa’s Nittany Lions connection.
Frey coached former Penn State coach Paula Wilkins, who recruited Alyssa, when Wilkins was in high school on his club team. After Alyssa's freshman season, Wilkins left Penn State for Wisconsin and Erica Dambach became the Nittany Lions coach.
Wilkins led Penn State to two NCAA Final Four appearances and six straight conference championships, and as a UMass player she was a First Team All-American. Dambach has won a national championship at Penn State (in 2015) and is a two-time national coach of the year.
Meanwhile, Frey has won six national championships at Messiah and is a four-time national coach of the year — and he has the highest career winning percentage among all soccer coaches in NCAA D-I, D-II and D-III.
FAMILY TIES
In a U.S. Soccer video recorded before the 2015 World Cup, Alyssa beautifully describes the benefits of having Amanda as a twin — recalling the real-life roller coaster of their growing-up years, a familiar story that resonates with family relationships in general, whether sibling-to-sibling, parent-to-child or spouse-to-spouse.
“It was awesome,” Alyssa says. “I kind of had a built-in training buddy, a built-in friend. We were always very active from when we were a really young age — you know, always getting into something, but once we got into soccer it was awesome. We would just go in the backyard and be out there for hours and hours — broke a lot of windows, got into a lot of fights, there were a lot of tears ... a lot of bumps and bruises and some blood along the way. But it was really fun and something we always enjoyed doing together.”
Appreciation for family is evidently a key theme in Alyssa’s life — she sees the amazing upside and joy and mirth of family relationships in tandem with the inevitable downside and sorrow and heartache.
In the YouTube video, Alyssa tells the story of a mishap upon arriving at their first soccer practice as 5-year-olds: Amanda inadvertently closed the door of the family vehicle on Alyssa’s hand. Naturally, Alyssa cried.
"To see her compete and succeed on the biggest stage brings tears to my eyes" — Amanda Naeher
In an attempt to help her feel better, Alyssa says Amanda offered the following words of solace: “That’s all right, don’t worry — you don’t have to use your hands in soccer anyways.”
Noting her sister’s unintentional irony, the 5-foot-9 keeper adds: “Apparently that was a little bit off-target, but definitely a memorable first soccer day.”
The twins grew up in Stratford, and the family moved to Seymour when they were in high school. Their younger sister Abigail (aka Abby) and her husband Matt Korman have a son and a daughter. Their son, the firstborn, arrived on the same July day in 2015 that the U.S. women won the World Cup.
“It was so great growing up with a twin sister and I am lucky to have two awesome sisters,” Alyssa told CT Insider. “We were always playing something, anything we could — soccer, basketball, cards — whatever it was, we fueled each other’s competitiveness. She is always my biggest supporter ... and I know she is always there for me.” +
• Editor’s Note — Today Magazine requested comment for this story from current Master’s athletic director Joshua Lawrence and former athletic director Ed Lebo, asking a few questions, including: How many goals did Master’s score against Alyssa when she was the goalkeeper at CHS?
Lawrence replied via email: “Employees must get permission from the Head of School before speaking with the press” — Today Magazine followed up with a subsequent request for comment (including head of school Deborah DeBisschop) but hasn’t seen a reply.
Today Magazine also contacted Alyssa Naeher via the X social media platform (formerly Twitter) — her X handle is @AlyssaNaeher — and asked her the following question: What memories come to mind of your HS games against The Master’s School in CT? Today Magazine hasn’t yet seen a reply. +
Today editor-in-chief Bruce Deckert previously worked at ESPN Digital Media, the Journal Register Company and The Master’s School — his son Luke and daughter Kayla were all-conference student-athletes at Master’s, and Kayla was a First Team All-American at Messiah College — their mom was Kayla’s high-school soccer coach and a longtime teacher and administrator at Master’s: her name was Mina Elizabeth Sykes Deckert
Luke and Kayla also played on travel soccer teams in the Farmington Valley — Luke with the Simsbury Cyclones and Kayla with the Simsbury Blast squad that won three state cup championships
The year Luke was born, Bruce coached the Master's varsity boys basketball team that lost a closely contested league championship game to Christian Heritage School, coached by John Naeher — at the time, Alyssa was 3 years old — and who knew then that she would one day be the U.S. national team keeper and an international soccer star?
• Correction Note — In the original version of this story, Bruce Deckert incorrectly reported that Messiah coach Scott Frey coached Penn State coach Erica Dambach when she was in high school — in actuality, Frey coached former Penn State coach Paula Wilkins, who recruited Alyssa and left Penn State after the keeper's freshman season — Dambach then became the Penn State coach.
Further, in this Today Online version of the story, quotes from Amanda Naeher have been added — Deckert was unable to reach Alyssa's twin in time for her comments to be included in the original Today Magazine story. +
Today Magazine covers community news that matters nationwide and aims to record Connecticut’s underreported upside — focusing on the heart of the Farmington Valley — Avon • Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury
Sources — Today Magazine reporting and research • multiple online media outlets • other online news references
• Related Today News •
• Relative Regard: Exclusive Q&A with Alyssa Naeher’s Uncle
SEO Keyword – World-Class Keeper: Olympic Soccer Star
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