​Although the 2026 high school soccer season is still a month away, The Enquirer is kicking off preseason coverage with spotlight pieces on the top returning players at each position. The defense begins with the goalkeepers—the backline and the first line of defense. Here are some key keepers to watch in 2026.
Be sure to vote for your favorite using the ballot at the end of the story. You can vote once an hour until 4 p.m. Friday.
Brennan stepped up in her sophomore season, recording 11 shutouts and 98 saves in 2025. She allowed only 15 goals all year and earned a spot on the all-city first team. The incoming junior will look to build on Taylor’s 12-7 finish while working alongside more than a dozen Yellowjacket upperclassmen.
Bruce, an incoming junior with two years of goalkeeping experience, led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference with nine shutouts in 2025. She stopped 78% of shots faced and allowed just 23 goals, earning Enquirer first-team all-city honors in Division I.
Seton sophomore Kara Buck recorded one of her 10 saves in a 1-0 Seton victory over Springboro in the OHSAA Division I girls soccer regional semifinal on Oct. 28, 2025, at Miamisburg High School. The Seton defense was nearly impenetrable in 2025 thanks to Buck’s goalkeeping, as she allowed only nine goals all season and posted 133 saves at a 94% clip. The incoming junior is a crucial returnee from the Saints’ state finals run and was a first-team all-city selection.
Highlands goalie Bailee Class produced eight saves and earned tournament MVP honors as Highlands defeated Notre Dame 1-0 in the KHSAA Ninth Region girls soccer championship on Oct. 18, 2025, at St. Henry District High School in Erlanger. Class was especially sharp in the postseason, allowing just two goals in eight wins, including a shutout of Notre Dame in the Ninth Region final. She finished with nine shutouts and 120 saves in her sophomore season and was named one of The Enquirer’s co-defensive players of the year in Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.
Gray had another strong junior season for McNicholas, posting an 84.5% save percentage with 87 saves and four shutouts in 2025. With a nine-member senior class, the Rockets appear poised to improve on a 9-4-8 record next year.
Kassner, as a junior, anchored the Rockets’ defense to a conference title with a perfect 6-0 record and finished 13-5-1 overall. Her 96 saves and four shutouts earned her a spot on the first-team all-city in Division V, and she should only get better as a senior.
Oliver, an incoming junior, already has two seasons of goalie experience. She established herself as a lockdown keeper as an underclassman, recording 135 saves and 10 shutouts in 2025, a slight improvement from 134 saves and 8.4 shutouts as a freshman. Her performance earned her a spot on The Enquirer’s all-city first team.
Anderson remains a key name for SEO purposes and to highlight the depth of talent in this group.