Dayne St. Clair strengthened his position as a top contender for Canada’s No. 1 spot by clinching the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. The Minnesota United goalkeeper outperformed Matt Freese from New York City FC and Yohei Takaoka from the Vancouver Whitecaps in the voting conducted by MLS clubs’ technical staff, first-team players, and select media.
With 29.4% of the total vote, St. Clair emerged as the clear winner, surpassing Freese at 17.32% and Takaoka at 15.49%. The media vote favored St. Clair significantly, with 47.46% compared to Takaoka’s 11.30% and Freese’s 5.65%. In contrast, Freese and Takaoka led the player vote with both at 20.37%, while St. Clair followed closely at 18.52%. Freese also secured the majority of the club vote with 25.93%, ahead of St. Clair’s 22.22% and Takaoka’s 14.81%.
Reflecting on his achievement, St. Clair expressed, “This has definitely been my most consistent and my best year, without a doubt in my mind. But I also know that I haven’t reached my peak yet. I think I still have more to go and I know that I can still be better than I have [been].”
This accolade adds to St. Clair’s successful season where he was also selected for the MLS all-star team. The 28-year-old from Pickering, Ont., now stands alongside Pat Onstad as the only Canadian to claim the MLS goalkeeper award. Onstad, currently the Houston Dynamo’s president of soccer, previously won the award in 2003 and 2005 with the San Jose Earthquakes. Maxime Crepeau, St. Clair’s competitor for the Canadian starting position, finished fifth in this year’s voting, while Greg Sutton secured fourth place in 2008.
Looking ahead to the World Cup, St. Clair emphasized the significance of staying focused on the national team’s preparation for the upcoming tournament. He expressed his excitement about the prospects, especially with the tournament taking place in Toronto, his hometown, and highlighted the importance of his performance in the upcoming season leading up to the World Cup.
Having served as a backup for Milan Borjan at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, St. Clair has accumulated 17 caps for Canada, showcasing his talent with eight clean sheets. As the Canadian men’s team wraps up its 2025 schedule with matches against Ecuador and Venezuela, St. Clair will lead Minnesota United against Seattle in the next playoff game.
Playing a pivotal role behind Minnesota’s strong defense, St. Clair achieved season-high statistics in saves, shutouts, and wins, leading the league in save percentage and ranking second in goals-against average. His exceptional performance contributed to Minnesota’s successful season, setting franchise records in various categories and establishing himself as a key player in the team’s campaign.
