BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Goalie Heidi Ritner (So., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) of No. 9-ranked the University of Michigan made 17 saves with seven steals and six assists during a 3-0 weekend at Hartwick College to claim recognition as the March 12 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division I Defensive Player of the Week.
Competing in non-league games versus league opponents, she improved to 16-5 all-time by helping the Wolverines down Brown University (16-5 W), No. 17 Princeton University (13-4 W) and the host/No. 13 Hawks (14-7 W).
Ritner, who stands at 16-5 in cage this season, started all three games and only allowed 11 goals with three versus Brown, two against Princeton and six more in the showdown with Hartwick. She also kickstarted the counter-attack offense with two assists in each game.
An 11-time weekly honor recipient from the CWPA league office after previously taking five Rookie of the Week (January 23, February 13, February 27, April 10, April 15) and four Defensive Player of the Week (January 23, February 27, April 10, May 15) nods as a freshman in 2017, the award marks her second of the 2018 season after notching status as the January 22 Defensive Player of the Week.
March 12 CWPA Division I Defensive Player of the Week Honor Roll: Cleo Harrington (Harvard University); Katie Wilke (Saint Francis University)
