MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Wheaton College (Mass.) women's soccer player Olivia King (Simsbury, Conn.) was named the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week for the week of October 26 to November 1, it was announced today by the league.
King is joined by sophomore Karina Contreras (Pawtucket, R.I.) as the NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week as this week's honorees for the league. The recognition gives the Lyons four weekly awards for the season, including a pair of Offensive Athlete of the Week nods to sophomore Camila Leiva (Warwick, R.I.). The haul is the highest total in a season for Wheaton women's soccer since 2012 when it was the recipient of eight awards with Cat Amick '16, Lauren Corigliano '15, Samantha Cronin '13 and Cassey Muse '13 earning top offensive weekly honors and Ali Hinton '16, Jordan Muse '13, Rachelle Rodman '14 and Taylor Wilson '16 receiving top defensive weekly accolades.
King was outstanding between the posts for the Lyons, allowing just one goal in 177:55 minutes of play for a 0.50 goals against average. The sophomore stopped nine of 10 shots for a gaudy .900 save percentage. The Simsbury High School product recorded her sixth shutout of the season, stopping all three shots she faced in a 1-0 victory over visiting United States Coast Guard Academy on October 28. The keeper capped the week by turning away six of seven shots in a 1-1 draw with visiting Salve Regina University on October 31.
For the season, King has started 16 of 17 games and ranks fourth among NEWMAC goalies with an .825 save percentage and a 1.05 goals against mark. The second-year player ranks second among league leaders with six blank sheets. The Biology major has made five or more saves in nine outings, including a career-high of 10 in a 4-0 shutout over Worcester State University in her first collegiate start on September 2 to open the season.
In 20 career matches, King owns a career GAA of 1.15, while making 81 saves for a .810 save percentage in 1487:01 minutes of play. She has six shutouts and a 10-4-3 record.
Wheaton is currently 10-4-3 overall and 7-2-2 in league play for its highest conference win total since 2017. The Lyons are currently the number three seed in the upcoming NEWMAC Championship Tournament and host sixth-seeded Babson College on Tuesday, November 3 at Mirrione Stadium for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff in the NEWMAC Quarterfinals.
