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Kyle Morton excelling between pipes for Hounds

By David Borne, 08/17/19, 10:15AM EDT

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Through his first 16 career starts, it’d be tough for Kyle Morton to have posted better results than he has. The keeper has notched eight clean sheets, with five of those coming this season.

Even with the impressive shutout numbers, Morton has never been one to pay attention to his statistics. He prefers to focus on preparing himself mentally and getting his mind right for upcoming games.

“I don’t really like to keep track of my stats like goals-against average,” Morton said. “I kind of just let that go. I’ve been preparing my own mental game.”

Morton credits his defenders and the chemistry he has been able to build with them for his success. Between time spent in Rochester and Pittsburgh, the keeper has played multiple seasons with a majority of the defenders currently with the Black and Gold. 

That experience has built a top notch level of trust and communication, which has contributed to their ability to shut out the opposition. 

“We’re definitely sharp,” Morton said. I’ve played with [Ryan James] and Jordan Dover for three years now. Joe [Greenspan] and Tobi [Adewole] for two. I know them pretty well and they know me pretty well. The communication between all of us is pretty sharp and that’s why we’re keeping those clean sheets.

"I really haven’t had to make too many saves in those clean sheets. I like it that way. They do all the dirty work, and obviously I’m behind them. The games I’ve played, they’ve done really well.”

Dover agreed with Morton, noting that when a group has as much experience together as Pittsburgh’s defense has, things become a whole lot easier.

“We all know our jobs, we all know our roles, and we cover for each other,” Dover said. “If one person gets beat, we know that someone else is going to be in the right area to do that. I think it’s been good because a lot of us are comfortable with the system that we play now. A lot of guys are versatile, so they can play different positions as well. It’s just continuing to do the right things.”

As the season has gone on, Morton has settled into the role of the starting goalkeeper. He has reached a level of play that he’s satisfied with, but hopes to keep improving in the final leg of the season.

“I’m really comfortable. Especially after coming off of surgery last year, it’s a world of difference between the first couple months of the season and now. We just have to keep building on it. Even me, I have to keep building and getting better every day.”

With three important points on the line against North Carolina FC on Saturday, Morton and those in front of him have a chance to continue their strong play. Morton did notch one of his clean sheets earlier this season against North Carolina. 

Even with having already seen the opposition once before, Dover and Morton stressed the importance of staying ready, and preparing like it’s a new team.

“It’s different when you play teams early in the season and then a bit later,” Dover said. “Teams are always getting better going toward the tail end of the season. We’re not expecting to see the exact same team that we played at the beginning of the season. We just want to make sure we go and play our game.”