The coordination, mobility and fierce mentality of Lehigh field hockey’s star goalie, junior Maddie Kahn, has allowed her to thrive for the Mountain Hawks.
Kahn was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year in 2020 and just recently made the Sports Center Top-10 for the second time.
A First Team All-League honoree, she was second in the nation in save percentage, saving 87.9 percent of shots.
Kahn also finished second in the nation in saves per game with an average of 7.25 saves per game.
Kahn’s 1.01 goals against average was a program record and ranked 11th nationally.
Throughout the four-week season in the spring of 2021, Kahn was awarded Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
Coach Caitlin Dallmeyer said Kahn is an essential part of the team’s success.
“Maddie (Kahn) is an amazing goalkeeper,” Dallmeyer said. “She puts so much work into her game. We are very fortunate to have her in our program.”
As a freshman in 2019, Kahn started all 18 games, letting in 2.34 goals against per game and saving 75.1 percent of shots.
She finished the year with 127 saves, good for second in the conference, and was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
During her sophomore year, Kahn was named to the U.S. U19 travel roster for its tour to Germany.
Given her impressive resume, Dallmeyer appreciates Kahn’s humility.
“I don’t think her mission is to perform for accolades,” Dallmeyer said. “She loves to give her personal best. What comes from that, comes from that”.
Junior midfielder Sarah Bonthuis said Maddie’s work ethic is incredibly high.
“Her motivation to become better every single practice is something that I believe makes her such a talented athlete,” Bonthuis said.
While Kahn has become one of the best goalies in program history, she hasn’t always played the position.
Kahn started off playing as a fullback.
“I was awful,” Kahn said. “I absolutely hated running and saw that the goalkeeper didn’t have to. I ended up really enjoying it.”
Coming out of high school, Kahn developed into a standout player. She had All-Conference and All-South Jersey recognition and led her high school to a state championship.
Although multiple schools were recruiting Kahn, she believed Lehigh was the best fit.
“I wanted to go to a smaller school that could offer me a really great education,” Kahn said. “Lehigh ended up on the top of that list, but to the dismay of my dad who attended Lafayette.” ”
Having not experienced a normal season since her freshman year due to COVID-19, Kahn is glad to be back in goal.
Kahn opened the season by saving 71 percent of shots and allowing 1.95 goals per game. She was nominated to the preseason All-League team.
Lehigh is 4-3 including a win and no losses against Patriot League competition.
Kahn and the Mountain Hawks take on Colgate on Sept. 25.
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