Scott Vallow Named to USL-1 Top 25 of the Decade
March 04, 2010 | Men's Soccer
Falcon Hall-of-Famer ranked 10th by professional circuit
Former Bowling Green State University men's soccer standout Scott Vallow has been listed among the top players of the past decade in the United Soccer Leagues. Vallow was listed at number 10 on the USL-1 Top 25 players of the decade in an article on USLsoccer.com.
The professional league's web site is listing the best and most influential players of the last 10 years. Vallow is one of two former Falcons who have been listed. In late January, Steve Klein was ranked 24th on the list.
Originally signed to be the goalkeeper of the Major League Soccer US Project-40 team that played in USL-1 in 1999, Vallow proved himself a capable goalkeeper in the league and landed a contract with the Rochester Rhinos at the beginning of the decade.
Replacing the departed Pat Onstad, Vallow picked up right where the champion GK left off, leading the club back to the championship game and helping capture the Rhinos' second league title in three years by downing Minnesota. He finished the season with Goalkeeper-of-the-Year and All-League honors for his play, as he went 12-6-1 with eight shutouts and a goals-against average of 0.83.
Vallow led the club to a repeat performance against Hershey the following year, making the Rhinos only the third team to repeat as league champions.
The 2002 campaign saw Vallow have stints with the New England Revolution and Dallas Burn of MLS. He landed a permanent spot with the Colorado Rapids in 2003 that lasted for two years, before he returned to Rochester.
Vallow posted a record of 13-7-5 with nine shutouts and a GAA of 0.92 in 2005. The team finished second in the table and reached the semifinals that season.
Vallow brought the club back to the USL-1 championship game for the first time since 2001 when he posted another All-League performance in 2006. He played every minute of the campaign for the Rhinos as they finished 13-4-11, posting 14 shutouts and completing the season with a 0.75 GAA. The Rhinos missed the regular-season title by one point, but advanced to the championship game.
After playing every minute in 2006, injury cost Vallow most of the 2007 campaign. He returned to the pitch and played in all but one match in 2008, reaching double digits in shutouts (10) for the second time in his career and going 11-9-9.
"When you think of Rochester soccer, you think of two names ... Dougy Miller and Scott Vallow," said Chris Economides, Senior Director of the USL First Division. "Scott ... established himself as one of the quality keepers in the league. He controls the back very well and is a leader, serving as captain. When thinking of a quality keeper, you don't have to go much past Vallow in USL-1."
Vallow, a native of Naperville, Ill., was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in October of 2009. A four-year starter and two-time All-American for head coach Mel Mahler's Falcons, he still holds several Mid-American Conference goalkeeping records. He had at least 10 shutouts in each of his four seasons, and a career GAA of 0.74. Most importantly, Vallow led the Falcons to three consecutive NCAA Championships appearances (1995-97), with trips to the Sweet 16 in the latter two years.
Vallow burst onto the scene as a freshman in 1995, with a 15-3-2 record and a GAA of 0.52. His GAA not only led the MAC, but ranked second in the nation (tops among all freshmen). He had a scoreless-minutes streak of nearly 550 minutes, spanning parts of six matches. That streak included both of the Falcons' MAC Tournament wins, as Vallow led the Falcons to the MAC regular-season and tournament titles for the first of three consecutive years.
As a sophomore in 1996, Vallow saw action in all but 44:40 of the team's total minutes, finishing the regular season ranked second in the region and ninth in the nation in GAA. He ended the year with a school-record 18 wins, and had 10 complete-game shutouts, playing in the bulk of two other shutout wins. Three of his four losses that year came to teams ranked 15th in the nation or higher. Vallow led the MAC in wins, GAA, minutes and shutouts. For the second year in a row, he did not receive All-MAC honors. In '96, this was due to the fact that he was not nominated (the MAC had a policy of limiting teams to five nominees). Vallow did, however, earn All-MAC Tournament honors as BG won the tourney crown once again. He blanked Detroit in the NCAA Tournament at Cochrane Field, his fourth-straight complete-game shutout. Vallow was named to the All-Mideast and All-Ohio first teams.
In 1997, Vallow tied the school record with 12 shutouts en route to 16 overall wins. He was selected as the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Player of the Year, and also earned NSCAA All-America Third-Team honors for the first of two consecutive seasons. Vallow had 16 wins, a GAA of 0.85 and 100 saves, and also earned Soccer News All-America honorable mention. He was a first-team All-Mideast Region, All-Ohio and All-MAC selection, and again was named to the MAC's All-Tournament Team as the Falcons won a third consecutive title. In the NCAA Tournament, Vallow recorded shutouts in both the Falcons' play-in game vs. Colgate and BGSU's first-round win at Marquette.
As a senior, Vallow was an All-MAC First-Team choice, and was the runner up in the coaches' voting for MAC Player of the Year. He recorded 10 shutouts for his fourth-straight double-digit season in that category, and had a GAA of 0.87. For the second year in a row, Vallow was selected to the All-Mideast Region and All-Ohio first teams and was an NSCAA All-America Third-Team selection.
Vallow ended his career with the school records for wins (59), shutouts (42) and GAA, and all of those records still stand. In fact, Vallow still holds the MAC records in wins and GAA, and is second in conference history in victories and saves.
The USLsoccer.com site will continue unveiling its top players of the decade over the next few weeks.
(Portions of this story courtesy USLsoccer.com)
The professional league's web site is listing the best and most influential players of the last 10 years. Vallow is one of two former Falcons who have been listed. In late January, Steve Klein was ranked 24th on the list.
Originally signed to be the goalkeeper of the Major League Soccer US Project-40 team that played in USL-1 in 1999, Vallow proved himself a capable goalkeeper in the league and landed a contract with the Rochester Rhinos at the beginning of the decade.
Replacing the departed Pat Onstad, Vallow picked up right where the champion GK left off, leading the club back to the championship game and helping capture the Rhinos' second league title in three years by downing Minnesota. He finished the season with Goalkeeper-of-the-Year and All-League honors for his play, as he went 12-6-1 with eight shutouts and a goals-against average of 0.83.
Vallow led the club to a repeat performance against Hershey the following year, making the Rhinos only the third team to repeat as league champions.
The 2002 campaign saw Vallow have stints with the New England Revolution and Dallas Burn of MLS. He landed a permanent spot with the Colorado Rapids in 2003 that lasted for two years, before he returned to Rochester.
Vallow posted a record of 13-7-5 with nine shutouts and a GAA of 0.92 in 2005. The team finished second in the table and reached the semifinals that season.
Vallow brought the club back to the USL-1 championship game for the first time since 2001 when he posted another All-League performance in 2006. He played every minute of the campaign for the Rhinos as they finished 13-4-11, posting 14 shutouts and completing the season with a 0.75 GAA. The Rhinos missed the regular-season title by one point, but advanced to the championship game.
After playing every minute in 2006, injury cost Vallow most of the 2007 campaign. He returned to the pitch and played in all but one match in 2008, reaching double digits in shutouts (10) for the second time in his career and going 11-9-9.
"When you think of Rochester soccer, you think of two names ... Dougy Miller and Scott Vallow," said Chris Economides, Senior Director of the USL First Division. "Scott ... established himself as one of the quality keepers in the league. He controls the back very well and is a leader, serving as captain. When thinking of a quality keeper, you don't have to go much past Vallow in USL-1."
Vallow, a native of Naperville, Ill., was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in October of 2009. A four-year starter and two-time All-American for head coach Mel Mahler's Falcons, he still holds several Mid-American Conference goalkeeping records. He had at least 10 shutouts in each of his four seasons, and a career GAA of 0.74. Most importantly, Vallow led the Falcons to three consecutive NCAA Championships appearances (1995-97), with trips to the Sweet 16 in the latter two years.
Vallow burst onto the scene as a freshman in 1995, with a 15-3-2 record and a GAA of 0.52. His GAA not only led the MAC, but ranked second in the nation (tops among all freshmen). He had a scoreless-minutes streak of nearly 550 minutes, spanning parts of six matches. That streak included both of the Falcons' MAC Tournament wins, as Vallow led the Falcons to the MAC regular-season and tournament titles for the first of three consecutive years.
As a sophomore in 1996, Vallow saw action in all but 44:40 of the team's total minutes, finishing the regular season ranked second in the region and ninth in the nation in GAA. He ended the year with a school-record 18 wins, and had 10 complete-game shutouts, playing in the bulk of two other shutout wins. Three of his four losses that year came to teams ranked 15th in the nation or higher. Vallow led the MAC in wins, GAA, minutes and shutouts. For the second year in a row, he did not receive All-MAC honors. In '96, this was due to the fact that he was not nominated (the MAC had a policy of limiting teams to five nominees). Vallow did, however, earn All-MAC Tournament honors as BG won the tourney crown once again. He blanked Detroit in the NCAA Tournament at Cochrane Field, his fourth-straight complete-game shutout. Vallow was named to the All-Mideast and All-Ohio first teams.
In 1997, Vallow tied the school record with 12 shutouts en route to 16 overall wins. He was selected as the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Player of the Year, and also earned NSCAA All-America Third-Team honors for the first of two consecutive seasons. Vallow had 16 wins, a GAA of 0.85 and 100 saves, and also earned Soccer News All-America honorable mention. He was a first-team All-Mideast Region, All-Ohio and All-MAC selection, and again was named to the MAC's All-Tournament Team as the Falcons won a third consecutive title. In the NCAA Tournament, Vallow recorded shutouts in both the Falcons' play-in game vs. Colgate and BGSU's first-round win at Marquette.
As a senior, Vallow was an All-MAC First-Team choice, and was the runner up in the coaches' voting for MAC Player of the Year. He recorded 10 shutouts for his fourth-straight double-digit season in that category, and had a GAA of 0.87. For the second year in a row, Vallow was selected to the All-Mideast Region and All-Ohio first teams and was an NSCAA All-America Third-Team selection.
Vallow ended his career with the school records for wins (59), shutouts (42) and GAA, and all of those records still stand. In fact, Vallow still holds the MAC records in wins and GAA, and is second in conference history in victories and saves.
The USLsoccer.com site will continue unveiling its top players of the decade over the next few weeks.
(Portions of this story courtesy USLsoccer.com)
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Sept. 5, 2025)
Saturday, September 06
Off The Pitch: Bennett Painter (Sept. 3, 2025)
Thursday, September 04
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Sept. 1, 2025)
Monday, September 01
Bennett Painter Post-Match Interview (Aug. 21, 2025)
Friday, August 22