Fire second-year goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra earned his first career NAPA Save of the Week award on Tuesday for two rapid-fire stops that helped preserve Chicago’s 2-0 shutout against the Houston Dynamo last Saturday.
With the Fire leading 1-0 in the 51st minute on Saturday, Dykstra turned away a point-blank header from Houston’s Andrew Hainult, but left the rebound skipping dangerously in the Fire penalty box. He rose to his feet to deny a follow-up header from Dominic Oduro en route to his second shutout in as many weeks.
Watch: Dykstra's Winner
Dykstra – who is in his first season as the Fire’s No. 1 goalkeeper – also picked up a shutout in the Fire’s 2-0 win over D.C. United on April 17 at RFK Stadium. He tallied his first career assist in the win, bombing a free kick to the head of striker Brian McBride.
Dykstra earned 39 percent of the vote, topping Houston defender Mike Chabala’s goal-line stop of an early McBride strike in the Houston-Chicago matchup.
