College Achievers: Soderwall a brick wall in goal for Curry College
Huntley High School graduate Shane Soderwall, a sophomore goalie for Curry College in Massachusetts, earned the Sid Watson Award as the best player in Division III men’s hockey.
A first-team pick on the CCM/ACHA Division II-III All-American East Team, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder backstopped the Colonels’ 25-4 record and a slot in the Division III Frozen Four, won by Hobart College.
In 28 games, all starts, Soderwall went 24-4 with 8 shutouts, both program records. His goals-against average of 1.47 and .945 save percentage each ranked third in the nation behind Hobart’s dual-goalie pairing, each of whom played 600 fewer minutes.
Soderwall, who as a freshman once made 98 saves in a game to tie a Division III record (the Division I mark is 87), earned Conference of New England player of the year and goalie of the year.
Soderwall also earned the Joe Concannon Award as the best American-born Division II-III player in New England, and was the New England Hockey Writers Association MVP. Soderwall was a Concannon finalist in 2023-24 when he went 15-4 with a 1.59 goals-against, .949 save percentage, and 5 shutouts, Curry’s prior record.
Robert Papazian, Curry College assistant athletic director for communications, said Soderwall is transferring to Division I Clarkson University with the chance to make an immediate impact.
Score
Claire Sammons (Benet), a senior forward at Connecticut College, earned CCM/ACHA Division II-III All-American East second-team. The New England Small College Athletic Conference player of the year, Sammons led the Camels’ hockey team with 18 points on 6 goals and 12 assists in 24 games.
St. Norbert College senior forward Courtnie Hogan (Fremd) made All-American West second team. The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year, Hogan led the Green Nights with 19 goals and scored 36 points. That was slightly ahead of her twin sister and all-NCHA pick, Natalie Hogan, who scored 16 goals with 17 assists. In four seasons Courtnie Hogan scored a program-record 106 points, and Natalie Hogan scored 103 points.
Nazareth University freshman forward Amy Laskowski (Hinsdale Central) was East third-team All-America. She led the Golden Flyers in goals with 16 and was second with 14 assists, for 30 points in 29 games.
Puck luck
The NCAA Division I men’s Frozen Four — Denver, Western Michigan, Penn State, Boston University — faces off April 10-12 in St. Louis.
Buffalo Grove’s Robby Drazner is a graduate student who plays defense for Western Michigan. From Naperville, freshman defender Zack Sharp, like Drazner, has played in all 40 games. The Broncos also bring senior forward Wyatt Schingoethe of Algonquin and graduate student goalie Cameron Rowe from Wilmette, 15-2 on the season.
Boston University’s top two scorers are the Hutson brothers of North Barrington, junior forward Quinn and freshman defender Cole. Kamil Bednarik of Elmhurst plays defense for the Terriers. Penn State rosters Naperville freshman forward Patrick Kuzma, but he hasn’t played this season.
Defending champion Denver’s leading scorer, with 13 goals and 44 assists in 43 games, is senior forward Jack Devine of Glencoe. Denver also has freshman forward James Reeder from Glenview.
Just perfect
Illinois Wesleyan junior softball player Gianna Certa (Grayslake North) was named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin pitcher of the week. The 2024 CCIW pitcher of the year, Certa threw a 6-inning perfect game with six strikeouts in an 11-0 win over Lake Forest in a doubleheader nightcap. She earned a save in the first game. In four appearances Certa went 3-0 over 19⅓ innings with a 1.81 ERA, 15 strikeouts and no walks. The weekly award was her fifth, and the perfect game was Wesleyan’s first in five years.
Illinois Wesleyan freshman Maddie Pool (Wheaton Warrenville South) threw a 2-hit shutout win, her first, to hand Wisconsin-Whitewater its first loss of the season after 15 wins. Pool also hit a home run, the first by a Titans pitcher since 2022.