The Stony Brook Women’s Soccer team has been on a tear lately. On Sunday, the squad defeated UMass Lowell 1-0, making the Seawolves undefeated in their last four matches. Head coach Sue Ryan’s team seems poised to make a run at an America East championship in a couple weeks, thanks in large part to its stalwart in net, junior goalkeeper Emily Doherty.
On Monday, America East announced that Doherty was the conference’s Women’s Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 12-18.
After splitting net-minding duties with freshman Cara Gallagher throughout the nonconference schedule, Doherty has been given control of the Seawolves’ goal in America East play, where she has not disappointed.
In six conference matches, Doherty has a minuscule goals-against average of 0.80. She has shutout two of her opponents and her save percentage of 90 percent ranks first in the conference.
In a 1-1 draw on the road against Binghamton last Thursday, the Temple transfer’s performance was not just good—it was historic. Against a Bearcats team that threw the kitchen sink at her, Doherty smothered shots left and right throughout the match, stopping 17 of the 18 balls she faced.
Doherty’s 17 saves were the most by a Stony Brook player since 1999 and the most in an America East game since 2003. She nearly doubled her previous career-high of nine saves.
Her brilliance in goal continued in Sunday’s home game, when Doherty kept the opposing River Hawks’ offense at bay en route to a shutout victory. Although Doherty was not as tested nearly as often on Sunday, her three saves were timely, including a 76th save in which she dove to her left to preserve the lead.
The next opponent for Doherty and the Seawolves are the Maine Black Bears, who will host Stony Brook on Thursday night at 7 p.m.