WINTHROP, Mass. -- Simmons University field hockey player Lucy McNamara (Brewster, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Week for the week of September 30 to October 6, it was announced today by the league.
The honor marks the fourth time that McNamara has been honored and the second time she has earned the accolade in back-to-back weeks this season. She becomes the first goalie in the conference to be tabbed four times since Maresa Malcolm from Regis College (Mass.) was tabbed four times in 2017 and is the first Shark to get the nod four or more times since Brianna Rastello (2013-16) snagged the honor a conference-record five times in 2014. A graduate of Nauset Regional High School, McNamara received the weekly accolade for the weeks of September 2-8, September 9-15 and September 23-29.
McNamara was nearly flawless in two matches for Simmons turning away 31 of 33 shots she faced to post a sparkling .939 save percentage and a 1.00 goals against average in 120 minutes of action. The three-year standout turned in a career-high 17 saves and stopped the first 16 shots she faced before allowing the only goal of the match with less than four minutes to play in a 1-0 loss at Smith College on October 1. The goalie made nine straight saves over the opening 25 minutes of play and finished with 14 stops in a 1-0 defeat to visiting Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on October 5.
For the season, McNamara currently leads the GNAC and stands 10th among NCAA Division III national leaders with a .850 save percentage and ranks second among conference goalies with 102 saves. She also leads the league with 743:40 minutes play, while standing second with three shutouts and fourth with a 1.45 goals against average. The Cape Cod native has started all 12 matches and has been exceptional over her last three outings, allowing just two scores in 180 minutes of action for a 0.67 goals against mark to go with 39 saves for a .951 save percentage. She has allowed more than one goal in a regulation game just three times this season and has given up one or few goals on seven occasions this year.
McNamara has started all 49 matches she's appeared in for the Sharks and owns a lifetime goals against mark of 1.83 with her first two seasons being played under a 70-minute match limit, compared to this season's 60-minute match time. The Public Relations and Marketing Communications major has turned away 315 shots during her tenure to record a .782 save percentage and has earned 24 victories, including eight shutouts over 3252:41 minutes of play. She was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year in 2017 in addition to being selected a Second Team All-Conference honoree the same year.
Simmons is currently 5-7 on the season, including 2-2 in GNAC play and returns to action on Tuesday, October 8 when it hosts Mount Holyoke College at 4:00 p.m. on Daly Field.