Samantha Walther enters her second season with the Nichols College women’s ice hockey program as a volunteer coach and first with the women's lacrosse program in 2019-20.
In her first season working with the ice hockey goaltenders, the Bison posted a program-record in both goals against average (1.56) and save percentage (.946) en route to a school-record 14 wins. Senior netminder Cassandra Goyette established single-season program records in nearly every category and closed the season No. 4 in the NCAA in save percentage (.952), No. 14 in goals against average (1.42), t-No. 19 in shutouts (four), and No. 27 in winning pct. (.545).
Walther completed her Bachelor of Arts in May, 2018 at Hamilton College, where she was a four-year member of the women’s ice hockey program as a goaltender. She is the Continentals all-time leader in goals against average (GAA) (1.40), save percentage (.948), and shutouts (26), and holds single-season records for save percentage (.960; set in 2017-18), shutouts (10; set in 2016-17), and GAA (1.08; set in 2016-17).
Walther’s record-breaking career spanned further than ‘The Empire State,’ as she also sits No. 2 in NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey history in shutouts (26) and save percentage (.948), while her .960 save percentage as a junior is the third-highest single-season mark in NCAA history. A two-time New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) First Team and All-America selection (2016-17, 2017-18), Walther was a finalist for both the NCAA Woman of the Year and Laura Hund NCAA Division III Player of the Year award as a senior.
Walther served as a goaltending coach at Nelson Hockey ‘Give it a Shot’ since 2009 and, from 2016-18, worked as both a volunteer goalie coach for the CNY Bobcats Girls Hockey Association and as a mentor for elementary school girls at Strong Girls in New Hartford, N.Y. Most recently, Walther served as a goaltending coach at Pro Ambitions in Boston, Mass.
