Calder Earns Second NWC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week

By Mark Colachico, Interim Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- For the second time in the last three weeks, Braydon Calder (Jr., GK, Philomath, OR/Philomath HS) of Willamette University has been selected as the Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week. His most recent award was for the week ending on Oct. 12.

Calder picked up his sixth win and second shutout of the year last week in Willamette's 1-0 victory over NWC rival Linfield.

Against the Wildcats, Calder registered a game-high four saves with all coming in the first half. Despite tallying only four saves, Calder faced 21 shots by Linfield that included 10 in the first half and 11 over the game's final 45 minutes.

So far this season, Calder has stood between the pipes for the Bearcats for a team-leading 884 minutes and three seconds facing 153 shots. The junior net-minder has tallied a team-best 47 saves and allowed only 10 goals for a goals against average (GAA) of 1.02, which ranks fourth in the Northwest Conference.

In two-and-a-half seasons with the Bearcats, Calder has manned Willamette's net for a combined 3,706 minutes allowing 48 goals for a career GAA of 1.17. The junior Bearcat has registered 184 saves and tallied eight career shutouts.

This is the third straight week that a Willamette player has been named NWC Men's Soccer Student-Athlete of the Week, as Calder and Yazan Hishmeh (Jr., F, Ventura, CA/Saint Bonaventure HS) each earned an offensive or defensive honor over the past 14 days.

Willamette returns to the pitch on Friday, October 17, against George Fox University beginning at 6:00 p.m. (PDT) in Newberg, Oregon.