Junior Neil Hlavaty shared player of the week honors with Aaron O'Neal. Brooks Canaday
Freshman goalkeeper Kim Kastuk. Dominick Reuter
Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Haber. Brooks CanadayAs the fall sports teams wrap up regular-season play and the ice hockey teams enter the fourth weekend of their respective seasons, several Boston University athletes are hitting their stride at the right time. Five Terriers garnered conference honors this week, including a trio of netminders and a pair of prolific men’s soccer players.
Melissa Haber
The women’s ice hockey goaltender earned Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors for her record-breaking performance Sunday against Dartmouth College. In BU’s 5-5 overtime tie with the then-No. 9 Big Green, the sophomore turned aside 50 of 55 shots to break a program record previously held by junior Allyse Wilcox, who made 45 saves in a loss to Providence College in February 2006.
In her platoon role with Wilcox, Haber has posted a 4.78 goals-against average and .890 save percentage through four games, with each of her starts coming against nationally ranked opponents.
Haber earned a spot on the Hockey East Honor Roll earlier this season for her performance against No. 3 Mercyhurst College on Oct. 12-13, when she turned away a combined 65 shots in two starts.
Christina Reuter
Haber wasn’t the only BU netminder to collect conference honors this week, as the women’s soccer goalkeeper was named America East Player of the Week on Monday. The senior was a brick wall in more than 190 minutes of action last week, stopping eight shots in the Terriers’ scoreless tie against the University of New Hampshire last Thursday before blocking four shots in BU’s 2-0 victory over Binghamton University on Sunday.
Reuter ranks third in the nation in save percentage (.901) and 20th in goals-against average (0.57).
Kim Kastuk
The field hockey goalkeeper racked up her eye-popping fourth Rookie of the Week award for collecting her fifth and sixth shutouts. The Terriers earned 2-0 wins over Harvard University and the University of Vermont.
In a superb rookie campaign that is sure to garner conference Rookie of the Year consideration, Kastuk posted a 14-4 regular season record to accompany a .716 save percentage and 1.27 GAA — good for 14th in the country.
Neil Hlavaty and Aaron O’Neal
The men’s soccer team swept the America East accolades, as Hlavaty nabbed Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. The junior midfielder notched the game-winning goal in BU’s 2-1 victory Saturday over the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
O’Neal, who leads the Terriers in goals (6) and points (16) was recognized as conference Rookie of the Week for the second time in three weeks. The freshman forward scored the Terriers’ lone goal last Wednesday against the University of Hartford in a double-overtime tie. The Virginia native also collected an assist in Saturday’s win over UMBC.
