Mark Dougherty is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in the Western Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, USISL and Major League Soccer. He is considered one of the top fifty MLS goalkeepers of all time. He served as a goalkeeper coach with the U.S. women national team.
High School and College
Dougherty grew up in San Jose, California and Cupertino, California. He began playing youth soccer in the Police Athletic League. After playing recreational-level soccer, he was recruited to play for his local club by coach Ken Campbell, South Valley United, where he remained from age 9-19, traveling around the nation and Canada for tournaments. Dougherty was competing year-round by the time he reached high school. He attended Santa Teresa High School and Monta Vista High School where he joined the boys' soccer team. Dougherty made the varsity team as a freshman, and helped his team to a conference title.
After starting four years in high school and repeatedly reaching the state playoffs, he was offered a scholarship to Fresno State University by then-assistant coach John Bluem. He red-shirted his freshman year, then started four consecutive years. His first year playing on the men's soccer team, in 1986, he led the Bulldogs to win the Pacific Coast Athletic Association championship and to the NCAA Final Four. That year, they set a record for the most wins for Fresno State with 18 and Dougherty set the record for fewest goals allowed (10). Dougherty was team captain his junior and senior seasons, in 1988 and 1989, and led the team to win back to back Big West Conference Championships. He was also named Player of the Week for October 11, 1988. In 1989, the team set records for fewest losses, (3) most penalty kicks made, (7) and longest unbeaten streak, with 17 wins and a 14-0-3 record.
During his college career, he was a four-year letterman, named a four time all-Far West selection, selected to the Second Team, All-Big West in 1987, and First Team 1988 and 1989. He ended his college career, in 1989, with 0.76 goals against average. Dougherty still holds the Big West Conference record for career shutouts, with thirty-eight between 1986-1989. Dougherty continued to attend classes, after being signed to play professionally, finally graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Fresno State.
Professional career
Early career
After exhausting his NCAA eligibility in 1989, Dougherty signed with the expansion San Francisco Bay Blackhawks, which were in the Western Soccer League (WSL). Between 1989 and 1991, the Blackhawks played in three championships in a row. The team came in second in the WSL championship game in 1989. Then, in 1990, the WSL merged with the American Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The Blackhawks again went to the championship game, but came up short a second time. In 1991, Dougherty led the league with a .81 goals against average per game as the Blackhawks won the title. Dougherty made two saves during the shootout and was named the championship MVP and a first team All Star. He was ranked 1st among APSL goalkeepers with 7 shut outs and 0.58 goals against average, and was 3-1 in penalty kicks. Even so, he finished second in voting for league MVP. The last of those championships, the 1991 APSL title, qualified the Blackhawks for a place in the 1992 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. As the Blackhawks were the United States' top professional club, in 1992 they traveled to Mexico City to face Club América in a home-and-away series at the most fearsome venue in North American soccer: Estadio Azteca. With questionable refereeing that caused the Blackhawks to believe that there was a conspiracy to keep them out of the final, they were narrowly defeated. In 1993, the team owner moved the Blackhawks from the APSL to the USISL and renamed the team the San Jose Hawks. The Hawks took their division with a 14-2 record, making the Sizzlin’ Six tournament before folding at the end of the season.
In 1994, Dougherty joined the North Bay Breakers as a player/coach.
In 1995, Dougherty was with the Hawaii Tsunami (USISL) as both a player and assistant coach. The Tsunami went 18-2, leading the USISL in both goals scored and goals against. Hawaii was also a perfect 10-0 at home. The Tsunami also won the Northwest Division championship and a berth in the Sizzlin' Nine championships.