Preview: Award-Winning Goalkeeper Noé Delmotte Shines for Bristol Rhythm AFC

By Lex Ogilvie/NPSL.com

Bristol Rhythm AFC goalkeeper Noé Delmotte has been named the recipient of the 2026 NPSL Golden Glove award after anchoring one of the league’s top defenses throughout the season.  As Bristol Rhythm AFC prepares to host the 2026 NPSL National Championship, Delmotte says the honor is a reflection of the collective effort that has helped the club reach the biggest match in its history.

For Delmotte, receiving the league’s top goalkeeping honor was a special moment, particularly during his first season in the NPSL.

“It’s the best award you can get as a goalkeeper,” Delmotte said. “It feels amazing, and I was really, really happy about it.”

While the award recognizes Delmotte’s individual performances, including eight clean sheets during the 2026 campaign, the French goalkeeper was quick to credit those around him.

“Without my defense and without all the boys on the team, I could have never done it,” he said. “Eight clean sheets…I owe a lot to my backline, to my defense.  So, it’s more like a good thing for Bristol Rhythm AFC. It shows how good we were this season.  You know, it’s not just like an individual award. It’s also a reflection of how beautiful the team played together this year too.”

Delmotte’s journey to Bristol Rhythm AFC began in France, where he first discovered his passion for the sport through his father, a former professional player who now coaches France’s Under-21 National Team.

“I started playing soccer when I was seven,” Delmotte said. “I played as a center back until I was about eleven, then I moved into goal.  I have never left this position since I was eleven; I just love this position so much, being the hero and just saving the teammates when they need me.”

After spending three years in a professional academy in France, Delmotte moved to the United States in 2024 to continue his education and soccer career at Tusculum University before transferring to East Tennessee State University earlier this year.  His connection with Bristol Rhythm AFC came through head coach Dave Neijenhuis, who had previously coached him as an assistant at Tusculum.

“He contacted me a couple of months ago before the season started,” Delmotte said. “I was really happy about this call, and I obviously accepted the offer instantly because I really like this coach, and he really had like a very good project for the summer, very good recruitment, and obviously it led us that far this season.  It was my first NPSL season, and I’m very happy to be part of this team.”

What followed has exceeded even Delmotte’s expectations.

“If someone had told me in May that we’d be playing in the national final, I would maybe not believe you because obviously it’s a late stage and a very, like, crazy, crazy title to get,” he said. “It’s been a beautiful, almost perfect first season.”

The goalkeeper believes the team’s success has been fueled by the chemistry developed throughout the summer, something that has been evident both on and off the field.

“Obviously, we’re undefeated this season,” Delmotte said. ” We’ve done pretty good so far.  Everyone is playing their best soccer right now, with a lot of individual confidence.”

One moment stands above the rest for Delmotte.  Although he was sidelined with a minor injury during Bristol Rhythm AFC’s victory over Greenville United, he still considers it his favorite memory of the season.

“We were tying them 2 to 2, and we scored the winning goals at the last second, like on a crazy, crazy scenario,” Delmotte said. “I was on the bench, but I ran on the field to celebrate with the boys, and that’s what’s beautiful with this team.  There’s no hard feelings.  Like everyone is pushing each other, everyone loves each other.  Like we’re a family, and like even if the boys don’t play or don’t make it to the roster, they’re gonna like celebrate with the team.  And so this moment of everyone running to each other to celebrate together for the win was like so, so good.”

That unity has carried Bristol Rhythm AFC through an undefeated season and into the 2026 NPSL National Championship, where the club will have the opportunity to compete for its first national title in front of its home supporters.

“I’m living with a couple of the boys, and we just can’t stop thinking about it and talking about it and how exciting it is,” Delmotte said. “We don’t play a final like this a lot in our lives, so it’s a one-time opportunity, and we are just like, yeah, so excited.”

As Bristol Rhythm AFC prepares for the biggest match in club history, Delmotte remains grateful for the journey that has brought him from France to Tennessee and now to the NPSL National Championship. While the Golden Glove Award recognizes his accomplishments between the posts, the goalkeeper’s focus remains firmly on one final objective: helping Bristol Rhythm AFC finish its remarkable season with a national championship.

Photo Credit: Mark Cooper/NPSL.com