It was unclear who would strap on the gloves for Columbus Crew SC heading into the 2017 campaign. Between Zack Steffen and Brad Stuver, there was no sure front runner before the Carolina Challenge Cup preseason tournament.
Stuver finished the end of the 2016 season in place of former goalkeeper Steve Clark, but Steffen’s touted raw ability demanded he get a chance before league play began.
Following a strong performance in South Carolina, head coach Gregg Berhalter found his guy to kickoff 2017, and he hasn’t looked back since.