The 6-foot-6, 215-pound junior goalkeeper led the Huskies to a 27-1-1 record and a second-straight Class 3A state championship this past season. Welch recorded 19 shutouts and allowed just 0.38 goals per game. He blanked the opposition in all seven of Naperville North’s postseason games, including a 14-save effort en route to a 1-0 win over Libertyville High in the state final. A two-time First Team All-State selection, he concluded his junior year with 29 shutouts and two state titles in his prep soccer career.
Welch has maintained a weighted 3.85 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
A Division I basketball recruit, Welch was selected to participate in the J. Kyle Braid Experiential Education Foundation that trains students to be leaders at their schools. “The Naperville North team was extremely talented this year, but they don’t win the state title without Tommy Welch,” said Josh Robinson, head coach of Metea Valley High. “It’s hyperbolic, but he is one of the best high school goalkeepers I have ever seen.”
