Goalkeeper Hunter Sulte became the first Alaskan native to sign a Homegrown contract with an MLS franchise this week, joining the Portland Timbers.

The 18-year-old joined the Timbers Academy back in 2016, climbing the ranks at the club before making eight appearances in the USL Championship in 2020 for Timbers 2.

“Hunter is a talented player whose commitment and dedication to the sport has been rewarded,” Gavin Wilkinson, general manager and president of soccer for the Timbers, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Hunter to fulfill his potential at the professional level and be a goalkeeper for the Timbers for many years to come.”

Listed at 6-foot-7, Sulte is originally from Anchorage, moving to Portland when he was almost 14 to join the Timbers. He had previously committed to play college soccer at Georgetown.

“We are very excited to sign an academy player who has shown all the signs and promise of a great future with the Timbers,” Giovanni Savarese, head coach of the Timbers, said in a release. “We feel that this the best move for him to continue to develop and are invested in Hunter as a player.”

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