(San Ramon, CA) On Tuesday, the Pac-12 Conference announced that Arizona State Lacrosse’s Katie Vahle was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. The junior goalkeeper recorded a 64% save percentage in two Sun Devil wins last week and capped off the weekend hitting the 400 career save mark against SDSU on Sunday.
The junior goalkeeper is the first Sun Devil to earn a Pac-12 weekly recognition this season. This is Vahle’s fifth career Defensive Player of the Week honor, and first since April 18, 2022. The most recent Pac-12 weekly award came from Kaylon Buckner on March 28, 2023, when the graduate midfielder was named Offensive Player of the Week.
Photo – Sun Devil Athletics
In two games against Liberty and San Diego State, Vahle notched 25 saves against 39 shots on goal. She saw a season-high 15 saves against Liberty, which was one save shy of her single-game career high 16, a mark she’s hit twice.
Junior goalkeeper Katie Vahle hit the 400 career save mark against the Aztecs, needing seven to hit the mark she tallied 10 in the win. She totaled 10 saves Sunday against the Aztecs and sits at 403 career saves. She is one of 17 active goalies at the D1 level with 400+ saves in the NCAA.
Vahle recorded 10+ saves in back-to-back games after 15 saves against Liberty on Wednesday. ASU outscored opponents 29-14 during the two-game span.
With two wins last week, her fourth and fifth of the season, Katie Vahle sits at 20 career wins which ties her with Berkeley Bonneau for the program’s all-time career wins.
Others nominated
Callan Fritsch, CAL; Lily Assini, COLO; Rachel Pallo, ORE; Lucy Pearson, STAN; Ashley Laing, UCD; Claudia Shevitz, USC.
Up Next
The Sun Devils will return home to Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium to take on No. 17 USC on Sunday, March 23 at 12 p.m. MST.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Claudia Schwartz
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