Mike Winter (soccer)

{{short description|American soccer player}} {{for|the Canadian Olympic equestrian|Mike Winter (equestrian)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Use American English|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name= Mike Winter | fullname = | image = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|9|2}} | birth_place = [[Austria]] | height = | position = [[goalkeeper (football)|Goalkeeper]] | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1972–1974 | years2 = 1974 | years3 = 1975 | clubs1 = [[St. Louis Stars (soccer)|St. Louis Stars]] | clubs2 = [[St. Louis Stars (soccer)|St. Louis Stars]] ''(indoor)'' | clubs3 = [[Chicago Sting]] | caps1 = 32 | caps2 = 1 | caps3 = 1 | goals1 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 1972–1973 | nationalteam1 = [[USMNT|United States]] | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = | managerclubs1 = }} '''Mike Winter''' is a retired [[soccer]] player who played as a [[goalkeeper (football)|goalkeeper]]. He spent four seasons in the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]] and earned six [[cap (sports)|caps]] for the [[USMNT|United States national team]].

==NASL== Winter was born in [[Austria]]. In 1972, the [[St. Louis Stars (soccer)|St. Louis Stars]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]] (NASL) selected Winter as their goalkeeper. That year, he had the second lowest [[goals against average]] (GAA) in the league, behind [[Kenny Cooper]]. That achievement led to his selection as the 1972 NASL Rookie of the Year. Winter was the goalie of record on February 13, 1974, when the visiting [[CSKA Moscow|Red Army]] team dismantled the Stars, 11–4, in an [[indoor soccer|indoor]] match before 12,241 fans at the [[St. Louis Arena]]. It was the last of three Red Army indoor matches on the tour.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mueller |first=Gary |title=Gritty Winter Impressive For Outclassed Stars|date=February 15, 1974|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/139620090/|page=30|accessdate=August 6, 2016}}</ref> Winter spent the 1973 and 1974 seasons with the Stars before the [[Chicago Sting]] selected him in the 1975 NASL Expansion Draft. He played one season with the Sting, then left the NASL.

==National team== In 1972, Winter earned his first [[cap (sports)|cap]] with the [[USMNT|U.S. national team]]. He never became a regular starter for the national team as he had significant competition in the nets from [[Mike Ivanow]] and [[Bob Rigby]]. However, he did earn six caps, but had no shutouts, and more significantly, no wins.<ref>[http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_U-Z.htm#W U.S. Men's National Team Player Registry: U - Z] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20090801001313/http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_U-Z.htm |date=August 1, 2009}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070425211100/http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/players/mike%5Fwinter/ U.S.SoccerPlayers.com bio] * [http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/W/Winter.Mike.htm NASL stats]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winter, Mike}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:American men's soccer players]] [[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]] [[Category:Austrian emigrants to the United States]] [[Category:Chicago Sting (NASL) players]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]] [[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players]] [[Category:St. Louis Stars (soccer) players]] [[Category:United States men's international soccer players]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]