Hunter Named CAA Player of the Week

The Tribe goalkeeper recorded her 11th career shutout in W&M’s win over Northeastern.

09/24/07 6:15PM

Williamsburg - William and Mary senior goalkeeper Gwen Hunter was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. Hunter played over 120 minutes of shutout field hockey in guiding the Tribe to a 2-0 mark with victories over CAA foe Northeastern and NorPac opponent Radford over the weekend. The Seaville, N.J., native became the first W&M player since Kelly Giles in 2005 to win the conference’s weekly honor.

In the Tribe’s CAA opener against Northeastern at Busch Field, Hunter made six saves to record her first shutout of the season. She made a pair of saves in the first half of play, before making the Tribe’s 1-0 lead hold up in the second stanza with four stops. Hunter’s biggest save of the evening came just over a minute into the second half. With W&M clinging to a slim lead, she made a diving stop to her right knocking away a dangerous shot lifted from the left side of the circle off a penalty corner.

Hunter made one save in the Tribe’s 4-0 win over Radford while playing just over 52 minutes. The save against the Highlanders was the 250th of her W&M career, which ranks sixth on the College’s all-time list.

Following the shutout of Northeastern, Hunter moved into a tie for fifth on the W&M career shutouts list with her 11th career clean sheet. For the season, Hunter has a goals against average of 1.28 to go along with 31 saves. Her GAA currently ranks 10th on the W&M single-season list. Hunter has also lowered her career goals against average to 1.77, which is the eighth-best average in W&M history.

Hunter and the Tribe will return to action with a pair of CAA road matches, Sept. 28-30. W&M will travel to Newark, Del., to battle No. 17 Delaware at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, before facing Towson on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m.