Bill Gaudette

How Acquired: Signed by the Galaxy on February 29, 2012.

A veteran goalkeeper with MLS and NASL experience, Gaudette is returns to MLS for the first time since 2007. One of the best goalkeepers in the USL and NASL in recent years, Gaudette was a major contributor to the Puerto Rico Islanders recent success, following in the footsteps of Josh Saunders, who he will be backing up in goal for LA this season along with Brian Perk.

MLS Highlights:

2007: Did not play in any regular season games during his final season with the Crew. 2006: Started a career-high 11 games for the Crew in 2006, going 3-5-3 with a 1.18 goals against average and three clean sheets. He made his season debut in a 1-1 home draw with the Galaxy on 7/22 and tallied his first win on 8/19 in a 1-0 win at home over New York. 2005: Was selected by the Columbus Crew in the first round of the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft and went on to appear in six games for the club as a rookie. He made his MLS debut on 5/25, replacing the injured Jon Busch at halftime and making two saves in a 0-0 draw with the Galaxy. He would go on to start the next five games for the Crew, going 1-3-1 while recording his first win in a 1-0 home win over Colorado, which was also his first shutout as a pro.

Career Highlights

2008-2010: Signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL First Division in 2008 and immediately became one of the top goalkeepers in the league. He led the Islanders to the best record in the league during the regular season and was selected as the Goalkeeper of the Year, tallying 10 shutouts and a 0.85 goals against average. However, the Islanders lost to Vancouver in the Final, denying Gaudette his first championship. The following season, Gaudette was a central figure in his team’s run to the semifinals of the 2008/09 CONCACAF Champions League. He helped to knock off Alajuelense and Santos Laguna on the way to the semifinals, where they eventually lost to Cruz Azul on penalties. In the league, he recorded a 0.74 goals against average to go along with 15 wins and 12 shutouts as the Islanders finished third and returned to the playoffs. One year later, Gaudette helped Puerto Rico upset the Galaxy in the CONCACAF Champions League. That was his final season with the Islanders, with Gaudette helping them earn the eighth and final playoff berth before rolling through the playoffs en route to their first championship. He finished his career with the club having appeared in 80 regular season games. 2011: Signed with the NASL’s Montreal Impact in February and went on to play in nine games for the NASL side. He made his debut in April in a 1-0 loss at Tampa Bay and recorded his first win on 5/1, keeping his second straight shutout in a 5-0 home win over Edmonton.

College Highlights

One of the best goalkeepers in St. John’s history, Gaudette led the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament four times from 2000-04 (he missed the 2001 season because of injury), including a berth in the 2003 College Cup Final. His 0.45 goals against average as a sophomore in 2002 is the second best in school history and Gaudette ranks in the top three in school history in all statistical categories for goalkeepers. He became the team’s permanent starter in 2002 and allowed less than a goal per game in each season, keeping 27 shutouts and going 42-15-12 in that time.