The Rapids shored up the team’s goalkeeping corps for the start of preseason training by acquiring 23-year-old Zac MacMath on loan from the Philadelphia Union for the 2015 season.

MacMath, who last year became the youngest player to play his 100th career game in MLS, started 29 games for the Union in 2014, recording five shutouts in 2,610 minutes.

In 2013, he started all 34 games for the Union, including two games in the U.S. Open Cup (one of which was the semifinal win over Dallas in penalty kicks). That season he recorded 12 shutouts in 3,060 minutes of play.

“Zac is a young, technical goalkeeper who has four years of experience in the league,” said Pablo Mastroeni, head coach of the Rapids. “He is coming off of his best season as a pro, and we look forward to him bringing great competition to the solid goalkeepers we currently have, as we continue to build for 2015 and beyond.”

MacMath, with 102 starts in 103 appearances since 2011 (all with Philadelphia), will complete a goalkeeping trio that includes returnees Clint Irwin and John Berner. Irwin, who will be 26 in April, has started 56 games for the Rapids over the last two seasons. Berner, who will be 24 in February, started five games for the Rapids in 2014, his rookie season after being drafted out of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The 6-foot, 176-pound MacMath was drafted fifth overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft after a three-year college career at the University of Maryland, which included a first team selection on the all-Atlantic Coast Conference team. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2010 ACC tournament after posting clean sheets vs. top-seeded North Carolina and Virginia, with a sparkling 1.07 goals-against average with three shutouts in eight tournament games.

In 2009, MacMath was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association third team All-America team, starting 21 games for the Terrapins. In 2008, he made the All-ACC Freshman team and was the nation’s top goalkeeper in terms of goals-against average at 0.88. That year he had 12 shutouts and at one point was in goal for 19 straight Maryland wins.