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Bucks Alum Hildebrandt Named USL Goalkeeper of the Year

By PDL Staff, 10/31/16, 1:30PM EDT

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2011 PDL Goalkeeper of the Year winner led FC Cincinnati


Photo courtesy of FC Cincinnati

Mitch Hildebrandt, who was named 2011 PDL Goalkeeper of the Year after a strong season for the Michigan Bucks, earned 2016 USL Goalkeeper of the Year honors on Monday.

The 27-year-old FC Cincinnati netminder led all USL goalkeepers in minutes played in the regular season, while he also posted a 0.86 goals against average. A former Minnesota United FC member, Hildebrandt has become a fan favorite in Cincinnati, as he led the club to a USL Playoffs appearance in its inaugural season.

“Obviously it’s a great honor when you’re given this reputation, but as a goalkeeper, there are a lot of things to be grateful for, and one thing is my back line,” Hildebrandt told USLSoccer.com. “Those guys were solid, and they made the game easy for me a lot of the times. It’s nice to receive the recognition, and I’m striving to get better."

Hildebrandt, who was also one of 12 PDL alums to be named to the USL All-League Teams, played for the Bucks from 2010-11. He helped the franchise earn back-to-back Great Lakes Division titles.

“I didn’t get to see much of the games, and we were away that weekend when they had the final," Hildebrandt said about the Bucks' 2016 championship run.

"I’ve kept in touch and know people still with the club. They’ve won two finals since I left, so they’re doing better without me,” he joked.

The 2016 USL Awards were voted on by team management and a league-wide media panel, which included representation from every USL market. Voting was conducted following the conclusion of the 2016 USL regular season.


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