Hamilton College’s Sam Walther ’18 (Gambrills, Md./The Gunnery [Conn.]) has been selected for the 2016-17 Women’s Hockey Division III All-America Team by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
Walther was placed on the East Region first team at goalie. She joins Stephanie Miguel ’11 as the only Hamilton women’s hockey all-Americans in the program’s 21-year history. Miguel made the 2008-09 East Region’s second team at forward. Walther is one of just four goalies and 24 players on the all-America team.
Walther was voted to the NESCAC all-conference first team in February. She is tied for the Division III lead and broke her own team record with eight shutouts this season. Walther is fourth in the nation with a .952 save percentage and is seventh with a 1.27 goals against average. She eclipsed her own program records in those categories as well. Walther allowed more than two goals in a game just three times all season long. For her career with the Continentals, Walther has 16 shutouts in 66 starts with a 1.51 goals against average and .944 save percentage.
Walther started 23 of Hamilton’s 25 games this season and played more than 1,418 minutes in goal. She helped lead the Continentals to a 14-8-3 overall record and third place in the NESCAC standings with a 9-5-2 mark. Hamilton was the No. 3 seed for the NESCAC championship — the Continentals’ highest seeding in program history. The 14 wins this season set a team record and Hamilton made a couple appearances in the D3hockey.com and USCHO.com Division III Top 10 polls with a high of No. 8 in the Feb. 13 USCHO.com poll. The Continentals are fifth in the division in scoring defense with 1.28 goals allowed per game and third in penalty kill at 92.5 percent (74-for-80).
