William “Bill” Gaudette

Born: September 14, 1981 (age 30), Hummelstown, Pennsylvania)
Height: 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
Weight: 205 lbs (92.99 kg)
Position: Goalkeeper

Prior to the unforseen emergence of rookie standout Ryan Meara, the loss of Frank Rost, Greg Sutton and Bouna Coundoul had the New York Red Bulls on a desperate quest to acquire a veteran keeper capable of leading the team between the nets.

One of those options was 30 year old Bill Gaudette. As fortunes (and the intricacies of salary cap limits) would have it, the Puerto Rican American backstop has found his way back into the Red Bulls plans.

While Meara unquestionably remains the teams #1 goalkeeper, a recent bout with a recurring hip injury has further cast a glare on the need for depth between the posts. Jeremy Vuolo, who competed in levels as high as the Finnish second division, hasn’t received a single start with the team through regular season or US Open Cup play. New York has long wanted a capable, veteran third keeper option who would be able to fill in the starting shoes if necessary

Gaudette is it.

The veteran backstop is no stranger to MLS, having played for the Columbus Crew, Montreal Impact and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Still, perhaps his greatest success came in USL, where he helped the Puerto Rico Islanders to a Championship and even earned himself Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

Coming to the team for next to nothing (a 2nd-round pick in the 2014 MLS supplemental draft was sent the Galaxy’s way), the Red Bulls have added the depth and experience they sought and Los Angeles clears up cap room ($63k) in the process. It is a win win for both parties involved.