Mike Winter
Encyclopedia
Mike Winter is a retired Austrian-American soccer goalkeeper
who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League
and earned six caps with the United States national team.
. In 1972, the St. Louis Stars
of the North American Soccer League
(NASL) selected Winter as their goalkeeper. That year, he had the second lowest goals against average
(GAA) in the league, behind Kenny Cooper
. That achievement led to his selection as the 1972 NASL Rookie of the Year. Winter spent the next two years with the Stars before the Chicago Sting
selected him in the 1975 NASL Expansion Draft. He played one season with the Sting, then left the NASL.
and Bob Rigby
. However he did earn six caps, but had no shutouts, and more significantly, no wins.
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and earned six caps with the United States national team.
NASL
Winter was born in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. In 1972, the St. Louis Stars
St. Louis Stars (soccer)
The St. Louis Stars were a soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri that played in the original NASL from 1967 to 1977.-History:The St. Louis Stars, founded in 1967 as a team in the NPSL were the first ever professional soccer team in St. Louis. The team was headed by Bob Hermann who later went on...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) selected Winter as their goalkeeper. That year, he had the second lowest goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
(GAA) in the league, behind Kenny Cooper
Kenny Cooper
Kenneth Scott Cooper, Jr. is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer....
. That achievement led to his selection as the 1972 NASL Rookie of the Year. Winter spent the next two years with the Stars before the Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
selected him in the 1975 NASL Expansion Draft. He played one season with the Sting, then left the NASL.
National team
In 1972, Winter earned his first cap with the U.S. national team. He never became a regular starter for the national team as he had significant competition in the nets from Mike IvanowMike Ivanow
Mike Ivanow is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper who was born in Shanghai, China. He spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League and was a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He also earned ten caps with the U.S...
and Bob Rigby
Bob Rigby
Bob Rigby is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper. Among the most talented soccer goalkeepers born in the United States, Rigby played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United...
. However he did earn six caps, but had no shutouts, and more significantly, no wins.