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Orange County Soccer Club fans have been blessed with the commitment and superb performances of goalkeeper Colin Shutler throughout his three year tenure with the club. Signed as a free agent in March of 2022, Shutler has since become a steadfast player and icon within the club. He is OCSC’s all time leading goalie with his 25 clean sheets and 61 appearances in all competitions. He hit the apex of his form in September of 2024, where he had three consecutive shutouts all of which were crucial to OCSC’s late season push to get into the playoffs. Additionally, he was voted USL Championship Player of the month for September 2024, with 35% of the total vote.
To paint the best picture of his progression as a player throughout his tenure with OCSC, we’ll walk through his stats by season and review the goalies he’s played alongside while in the Orange and Black. Finally, we’ll forecast personal goals/objectives that could constitute success for him and progression this season. All of this will be sprinkled in with response from the man himself.
Pre-OCSC
Colin Shutler was drafted with pick number 48 by FC Dallas in the 2021 Superdraft, and then spent the 2021 season with their affiliate club, North Texas SC. At the time, North Texas SC played in the USL League one (USL L1). He played a total of 10 matches, and achieved 4 clean sheets. Of note, he held clean sheets against USL L1 heavyweights, North Carolina FC and eventual USL L1 winners, Union Omaha. In his first foray into professional soccer, it would be easy to say that he had performed well, and that is also shown through his inclusion on the matchday squad for 11 of the other matches that season.
Signing for OCSC and the 2022 Season
Despite a consistent set of performances within his first season, FC Dallas chose not to retain Colin Shutler at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Entering the American soccer offseason as a free agent, he was acquired by OCSC and announced on March 9th, 2022. At the time, OCSC was just coming off their 2021 USLC winning campaign, and goalie Patrick Rakovsky was the club’s established No. 1. In the 2021 season, Rakovsky played in all but eight matches, and played every minute of the club’s historic playoff run which resulted in its first USLC triumph.
Joining the reigning champions was a massive challenge, but Shutler kept his head down and worked hard throughout the season. Wearing the No. 20, Shutler made the matchday squad for OCSC’s first 15 games of the season but had zero minutes on the pitch. Shutler’s USLC and OCSC debut came on June 25th, 2022, in a home match against Loudoun United. Entering the match, OCSC were sitting 12th within the USLC West, with only 14 points from 15 matches played, only two points off bottom placed Monterey Bay FC. The match ended 3:1 with OCSC the victors, and Shutler recording three saves.
His debut performance was a great sign of things to come and Shutler then started in the following six matches. He recorded his first OCSC clean sheet in this string of matches, against Miami FC on July 16th, 2022, with a match that ended 0:0.
Unfortunately his string of starts ended with the August 6th match against the Colorado Switchbacks, and he didn’t play another minute throughout the rest of the campaign.
His brief time in the squad that season was a sign of things to come. He showed great promise and composure in a side that hemorrhaged goals in what proved to be a tough Championship defending season.
2023 Season - Cementing His Place and First Playoff Experience
With the conclusion of the 2022 season, OCSC announced that they had re-signed Shutler for the 2023 season. The club also announced the departure of Rakovsky to Phoenix Rising, but announced the signing of MLS and EFL League 1 experienced goalie, Cody Cropper in March of 2023.
Shutler started the first match of the season, but a 1:3 defeat to Louisville City resulted in Shutler being dropped to the bench for the following two matches. It wasn’t until matchday 11, on May 17th, 2023, that Shutler would make another appearance for the club. In that match, he recorded his first clean sheet of the season, blanking Sacramento FC in a 1:0 victory at The Champ. It was the club’s second win in 11 USLC matches.
Shutler had seized his opportunity and played in the next 14 consecutive matches, where he was at the heart of OCSC’s surge in form. His performances proved immense, in that he recorded seven clean sheets and the club went 10-3-1 in that span. They rose from 11th to 3rd in the West during this time.
Shutler then alternated with being in and out of the squad, until later September when he started the final four matches of the season, recording another two clean sheets as the club launched themselves into the playoffs in 2nd place in the West.
This was to be Shutler’s first venture into USLC Playoffs, and he maintained his brilliant form as he kept yet another clean sheet in the Western Conference Quarter-Finals against El Paso on October 21st, 2023.
That was to prove to be the highlight of the club’s playoff run, as they were dispatched by the eventual champions, Phoenix Rising, in a thrilling match that was decided in extra time.
The challenge presented to Shutler at the beginning of the season was great. A veteran goalie had been brought in by the club, and competition for game time was fierce. He proved that he was up for the challenge and performed superbly. He played a total of 23 matches for the club, conceded only 21 goals and recorded 11 total clean sheets, with 10 of those coming in the USLC Regular season. It must be highlighted that he finished joint-5th for the 2023 Golden Glove, only two clean sheets behind the joint winners of Trey Muse for the Charleston Battery and Oliver Semmle of Louisville City FC. In doing so, he cemented himself as the club’s first choice goalie, and had earned a reputation throughout the league for being a proven shot-stopper.
2024 Season - Our No. 1
With the advent of the 2024 season, Shutler was given the No. 1 and the subsequent informal backing from the club that he was their first choice in between the sticks. In his first match as the No. 1, Shutler showed that he was not only a good shot-stopper but could score goals as well. In what will be one of the few goal-scoring moments in his career, Shutler scored a brilliant header in the 96th minute against Sacramento Republic. This proved to be enough to salvage a draw for the Orange and Black, and it was eventually voted as the Orange and Black Soccercast goal of the year.
Shutler had yet another first in his OCSC career as he captained OCSC for the first time at home against Tulsa FC on March 30th, 2024, where he masterfully kept a clean sheet as the club won 1:0.
Throughout the season he proved to be a consistent performer and played in all but six of OCSC’s 37 matches. He recorded 13 total clean sheets, with 12 of those coming in the regular season. His performances were so pivotal, in that he was even voted USL Championship Player of the Month in September of 2024, as his brilliant saves and clean sheets helped guide OCSC to a playoff spot after the club had a rough patch of form from May through July.
In the playoffs, he kept a clean sheet in OCSC’s Western Conference Quarterfinals victory over Memphis 901 FC. Unfortunately the result in the Western Conference Semi-Final would yield the exact same result as in 2023, as OCSC would lose to eventual champions Colorado Switchbacks, 2:1 after extra time.
2025 and Beyond
Fans of OCSC are thrilled that Colin Shutler is with the club for yet another season. His consistent performances have established him as a key figure within the club. He is a consummate professional and he always gives everything for the club and the fans. He is already a proven performer and must be in talks for one of the league’s best goalies. We’ll hope that he can win the USLC Golden Glove with OCSC this year. To do so, he would need to record 13+ clean sheets, as the Golden Glove winners from the last two seasons have recorded 12 and 14 clean sheets respectively. Given Shutler’s performances in the last two seasons, it is reasonable to set winning the Golden Glove as an objective for him.