Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Player of the Year, CSAC First Team Honoree, CSAC Honorable Mention and Player of the Week are just some of the honors that senior goalkeeper Caitlin Donahue has been awarded.
Originally from Langhorne, Pa., Donahue never thought she would continue playing field hockey after her career at Neshaminy High School.
In high school Donahue played rugby, field hockey, soccer and softball.
“I wasn’t planning on going to school and playing field hockey. After I picked up field hockey I kind of lost my love for any other sport,” Donahue said.
Originally a field player, Donahue decided to move her talents into the goal due to her severe asthma. Donahue says that another reason she chose to be goalkeeper was after a discussion her and her father had.
“My dad told me how being a goalie there are only so many of you and there are thousands of field players. He said that you only come across so many good goalies and that stuck with me,” Donahue said.
Donahue’s father Pete Donahue is proud of his daughter’s field hockey career and believes that playing with a team will help her in the future.
“Cait has been on the top of her game this year. It’s her senior year and she’s been wanting to go out on top and she has,” Donahue’s father said.
In the 2009 season Donahue was recognized for having a save percentage of .886 winning her the NCAA Statistical Champion in save percentage. She also was selected as ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region Defensive Player of the Week and was named WomensFieldHockey.com Weekly Honor Roll.
Donahue was given these awards while having a rough season after suffering from a torn MCL while blocking a shot against Rowan University.
During the 2010 season, Donahue started 17 games with a 10-7 record. Donahue continued her award streak by being named Player of the Week and CSAC Player of the Year.
“I wasn’t really expecting to get the CSAC Player of the Year because the rest of my team did really awesome. I don’t like the single awards and the attention from getting them,” Donahue said.
Among these awards Donahue also attained a milestone in her career by reaching 500-career saves during the championship game against Gwynedd-Mercy College.
Off the field Donahue takes her schoolwork seriously. She is a criminology major and graphic design minor and and hopes to work for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
“I’ve been playing sports my entire life. It’s going to be weird not to have that outlet to go to because field hockey is somewhere for me to just think about hockey and nothing else,” Donahue said.
After graduation, Donahue will be traveling to Italy to represent the U.S. on the international field hockey team.
“I’m really going to miss coming to her games next year but she is playing in Italy and that’s going to be icing on the cake,” Donahue’s father said.
“I think my dad is my biggest fan. He’s been coming to every one of my games ever since I started in the seventh grade. He has confidence in me and loves watching me play. I don’t know what he’s going to do next year when I’m not playing,” Donahue said.
“Her playing career has been phenomenal and I am so proud of her as a person. She has done well in field hockey and in her schoolwork and it’s made her who she is today. Cait is a very humble person and doesn’t think the awards she receives are a big deal but they are,” Donahue’s father said.
