Currently one of the best goalkeepers in North America, Onstad’s career started on modest terms as he spent the first seven years as a professional playing in the Canadian Soccer League before joining the Toronto Rockets of what is now the USL First Division in 1994. After a season with Toronto and half a campaign with the Montreal Impact in 1995, Onstad retired from the game at the age of 27 and became a physical education teach in Vancouver. Two seasons later he came out of retirement to play for the expansion Toronto Lynx in 1997. The following year he joined the Rochester Raging Rhinos, where his career would reach new heights.

Onstad helped lead Rochester to the USL First Division regular season and playoff championships in 1998, leading the league in goals against average (0.50) en route to earning the Goalkeeper of the Year and All-League honors. His successful run continued in 1999 as he helped lead the Rhinos to a second consecutive regular season title. Although the Rhinos would fall in the championship game, Onstad’s season was highlighted with another championship, capturing the US Open Cup trophy with four consecutive wins over Major League Soccer opponents. He was second in the league in GAA with a mark of 0.62, earning All-League honors.

His success led to a stint in 2000 with Dundee United of the Scottish Premier League, but he returned stateside in 2001 only to miss nearly the entire season due to a wrist fracture. In 2002, however, he returned to prominence with another second-place finish in GAA (0.75).

An emergency need for a goalkeeper in San Jose in 2003 led to Onstad’s move to Major League Soccer, where he has continued to be a league leader and champion. In just his first season, Onstad eclipsed single-season team records and was named Goalkeeper of the Year after finishing second in GAA (1.04) in the league while helping lead the Earthquakes to the MLS Cup championship.

Two years later, Onstad was again named Goalkeeper of the Year after setting new team records and finishing first in the league in GAA (0.97). In the team’s first year in Houston in 2006, Onstad helped deliver an MLS Cup championship, playing every minute of the season. He helped guide the club to a second consecutive MLS Cup championship in 2007 while finishing first again in GAA with a mark of 0.82. At the close of the 2008 campaign, Onstad finished with the league’s best GAA for a third time in four years with a mark of 1.03 at the age of 40, bringing his MLS career average to 1.07.

On the international stage, Onstad has been involved with the Canadian National Team for over 20 years, making 56 appearances for the senior squad and posting team record 22 shutouts.