On today’s Lax Goalie Rat Podcast episode, Coach Damon sits down to chat with Arizona State women’s lacrosse goalie Katie Vahle.
Coming out of Manorville, NY on Long Island, Katie just finished quite the freshman season at ASU.
Not only did she earn the starting role during her first season but she was also the first ever Sun Devil to win Pac-12 Defender of the Week honors four times in one season.
During a five-game winning streak this season for the Sun Devils, Vahle was spectacular, establishing herself as one of the best freshman goalkeepers in the nation. She would go on to finish her first season at Arizona State with a 10-8 record, 12.80 GAA (4th in the Pac-12), and .409 save % (3rd in the Pac-12).
Katie is known for her athleticism and instincts in the cage and despite her small frame, she has a knack for making big-time saves, especially in big-time games like this diving save against Manhasset in the Class B Championship in 2019.
Prior to arriving in Tempe, Vahle played her high school lacrosse at Eastport South Manor High School, a powerhouse program on Long Island, where she started as an 8th grader on the varsity squad.
Vahle came to Arizona State as a highly-regarded recruit. Initially, ASU wasn’t on Katie’s radar even after former head coach Tim McCormick had reached out to her on Sep. 1 of her signing year.
But after doing a campus visit Vahle quickly fell in love with the Sun Devils’ coaching staff and what they had to offer her.
The trip out west was a new and exciting challenge for the Long Island native who came from one of the top high school programs in the country at ESM to start out fresh with a newer program at ASU that was established in 2018.
Katie joins the show today to talk about growing up on Long Island, earning the starting role as a freshman, her sick dyed Eclipse II head, and much more!
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