November 18, 2024 – Story and photos by Joshua Ross
It’s not always about the numbers when selecting the Athlete of the Week presented by College Hype. This week, it’s about the numbers. And they are staggering. Senior captain Jacob Riker is stopping everything in net for the Harbormen. He has yet to allow a goal in the playoffs and with Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Minnesaug in the D2 quarter finals recorded his 16th shutout of the season. He has an amaizing .38 goals against average per game. He was also named MVP of the Patriot League’s Keenan Division and an EMSCA All New England All-Star.
“Jacob has been a constant source of security for us this whole season, and he is stepping up his game to be even better at distribution and keeping the ball out of the net. He is the MVP of the league, a two time captain, and he is certainly playing like it,” says head coach Dave Leahy.
Fellow senior captain Adam Healey, who has played in front of Jacob for almost 10 years, is not surprised with his performance in the net.
“Jacob’s been playing very well, a brick wall in back,” explains Healey. “Fortunately I have been playing with him for almost a decade so it’s great to have such a reliable goalkeeper in the back and results in a confidence boost for the team. We trust him and his grit in the goal is huge for the team.”
Congrats Jacob in good luck in the Final Four on Tuesday night.