Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton, who led Major League Soccer in shutouts and goals against average in 2009, was today named MLS’s Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2009 season. The award, determined by voting from the media as well as MLS players, coaches, general managers and referees, follows perhaps the best season in Thornton’s 13-year MLS career, including his 1998 campaign, when he won Goalkeeper of the Year with the Chicago Fire.

In 2009, Thornton led Chivas USA to a 13-11-6 record and posted a career-best 12 shutouts and 0.87 goals against average, both of which were the top marks in MLS. Thornton’s goals against average this season ranks second all-time in league history behind Pat Onstad’s 0.82 in 2007, and his 12 shutouts were one shy of the club record, set by Brad Guzan in 2007. Thornton became the second Chivas USA goalkeeper to win the award, following Guzan’s record-setting campaign in 2007.

Thornton is one of just three players to win Goalkeeper of the Year twice (joining Joe Cannon and Pat Onstad), having last won the award 11 years ago with the Chicago Fire, a season in which he led the Fire to wins in both the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup. A six time All-Star (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009), Thornton won two additional U.S. Open Cups with Chicago in 2000 and 2003, as well as the Supporters Shield with the Fire in 2003. He joined the Red-and-White in a trade with the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 1, 2008, the day that Chivas USA Original Brad Guzan transferred to Aston Villa of the English Premier League.

Thornton ranks second all-time in MLS in shutouts (70) and wins (125), behind only Kevin Hartman in both categories. He attended Loyola College in Maryland and was drafted by the MetroStars in the 7th round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft, playing two seasons with the club as a reserve behind Tony Meola before joining the Chicago Fire in the 1998 Expansion Draft. A star with the Fire for the bulk of the next nine seasons, Thornton also spent six months on loan with Benfica in Portugal in 2004. Thornton played with the Colorado Rapids in 2007 and New York Red Bulls in 2008 before the trade to Chivas USA, where he played seven games before earning the starting role to begin the 2009 campaign.

Thornton led the voting ahead of Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller and LA Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, the other finalists named earlier this week. Chivas USA takes on the LA Galaxy in the second leg of the Playoff Super Clásico series this Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.