Wilhelm compiles 20 soccer shutouts for Ithaca

Alumni Report

By Bill Free | Sun reporter

November 8, 2007

Ithaca College soccer goalkeeper Andy Wilhelm (Centennial) is building quite a resume in the net with 20 career shutouts through his junior season at the upstate New York school.

Wilhelm ranks fourth on the school's all-time shutout list.

But the three-time All-Howard County selection and Sun All-Metro honorable mention hasn't come close to realizing all of his goals. There have been no NCAA tournament bids for the Division III school or league championships. Just a lot of nice individual awards.

Wilhelm hopes all those unforgettable moments for any athlete, like NCAA bids and team championships, will come next season in his final venture through the Empire 8 Conference.

"I've got one more year and I'm hoping for some good things to happen," Wilhelm said. "I'm going to wait and see what develops for the team and myself next year. I know I'll be playing somewhere after I graduate."

Wilhelm has been an Empire 8 second-team goalkeeper for two consecutive seasons, helping the Bombers put together 10-4-1 and 10-5-1 records in his sophomore and junior seasons. He posted a 0.80 goals-against average and .851 save percentage as a sophomore, and came back this season with a young defense in front of him to record a 0.93 GAA and .795 save percentage.

"We lost two outstanding defenders from last year," Wilhelm said. "We played with more freshmen this season. The team was a lot younger. I had a lot more responsibility in the goal. The young guys weren't used to the competition, and I did more talking."

The two-time captain at Centennial said that upgraded role was good for him because it kept him on top of everything that went on in front of him.

Wilhelm was the Empire 8 Goalie of the Week three times this season and three times as a sophomore. There was one rather shocking four-game stretch this season, though, when Ithaca lost four straight games by shutouts.

"I couldn't believe it," Wilhelm said. "That just doesn't happen at Ithaca. I know it had been a long time since it happened. They were all good teams who shut us out, but that accounted for four of our five losses."

Palmer helps win title

Sophomore midfielder Sarah Palmer (Friends School) made a perfect pass off a penalty corner to wide-open William Smith College teammate Kaitlyn Hamilton, who scored the winning goal for a 2-1 overtime victory in the Liberty League field hockey tournament championship game.

William Smith (15-4) is headed to its 17th NCAA Division III tournament after winning its fourth straight Liberty League title and ninth overall.

Palmer has started all 19 games and has four goals, two assists, one game-winning goal, one defensive save, and 22 shots on goal out of 26 total shots.

Elsewhere

Sophomore defenseman Lindsay Berman (Arundel) has two goals and four assists for Northeastern University's women's ice hockey team. Berman has a full scholarship with the Huskies, who have a 0-6-1 record. ... Molly Pope (Long Reach) has completed a 19-game field hockey season, playing every minute of every game for DeSales in Center Valley, Pa. Pope, a sophomore, is the only goalkeeper listed on the roster for DeSales (8-11). She recorded four shutouts this season, a 1.94 goals-against average and a .767 save percentage.

Contact Bill Free by e-mail at bfree7066@hotmail.com or by phone at 410-833-5349.