New England College

HENNIKER, N.H. - The New England College Athletics Department has named senior goaltender of the NEC women’s lacrosse team their Female Pilgrim of the Month for the month of April 2024.

The one and only gatekeeper for this year’s team has held her ground thoroughly throughout the whole month where she contributed on a 4-5 stretch, saving the ball 109 times including a 21-save outing on April 2^nd at home against the Simmons University Sharks. Knotts also had another 20-save performance in that span on the road at Elms College in a 15-9 win over the Blazers.

“Carleigh had a great ending to her collegiate lacrosse career,” said head coach Samantha Aucoin. “She was the backbone of our defensive unit and will surely be missed! Incredibly proud of all that she has accomplished and lucky to have been a part of her journey here!”

What made Knotts’ stellar output more intriguing was her statistical rankings throughout the program’s first year in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). She ranked fourth in the nation amongst goaltenders for saves per game (12.47) and save percentage (0.530). The senior gradually improved her defensive analytics through all four years in Pilgrim uniform, including a bump in season total saves from 178 in 2023 to 212 in 2024.

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