Since Eloy Room made his debut start for Columbus Crew SC on July 20, 2019, the Black & Gold have earned a result in all but five of the 29 matches in which the 31-year-old has featured.
While we cannot solely attribute the Club's record-setting shutout streak earlier this season to one person, there is no denying that the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year nominee's ability to shine at key junctures has helped the Crew earn a No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference after missing the playoffs in 2019.
With Room, the Crew is 9-3-5 in 2020, highlighted by a four-match unbeaten run that eventually stretched to 6 matches, although an injury kept Room from competing in the final MLS is Back Tournament group stage match, as well as the ensuing victory over Chicago Fire FC on Aug. 20 following the League's regular-season restart.
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Notably, upon returning on Aug. 29, Room went on to register a 473-minute shutout streak spanning from March 7 to September 12, making it the third-longest shutout streak in Crew SC history.
Back on August 23, as Columbus opened the campaign with a shutout in five of the first six regular-season matches, Head Coach Caleb Porter made it clear that while, yes, individuals such as Room or Jonathan Mensah were playing exceptionally well, it was a matter of not giving up many chances.
At that time, Room had posted three shutouts in four games (compared to one in 12 games in 2019) as Columbus conceded the fewest shots on goal (18), in addition to an astounding 94.44 save-percentage.
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Fast forward to Nov. 12, and Room has compiled 41 saves -- including a season-high eight saves vs. Philadelphia -- and seven shutouts on the year, as Columbus finished behind only the Philadelphia Union for the fewest goals conceded with 20.
Now, Room & Co. seek a second-consecutive shutout over the New York Red Bulls come Nov. 21 as the teams get set to meet at MAPFRE Stadium.
