COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Fort Lewis College goalkeeper Ryan Wirth was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, RMAC Assistant Commissioner Sarah Meier announced today.

Wirth, a 5-foot-1, 175-lb. senior from Bayfield High School, has recorded six shutouts in eight games in 2011 after he posted two shutouts at home this past week. He allowed one goal in three games last week and owns a 0.25 goals against average — second best in NCAA Division II. He also ranks tenth in the nation in save percentage at .895.

“It’s well deserved,” third-year FLC head coach Oige Kennedy said of his keeper. “We’re the second best defense in the nation right now, allowing just two goals in eight games. He’s played every minute of it.”

Wirth redshirted in 2007 and ’08 before serving as backup to All-American Zane Wells on FLC’s 2009 NCAA Division II national championship team. He split time with two other keepers in 2010 before cementing down the starting job in the season’s final weeks.

Wirth’s only previous collegiate athletic honor was being named to the RMAC All-Tournament team as a junior in 2010.

The Skyhawks, ranked No. 2 in the nation in today’s NCAA Division II coaches’ poll, hit the road for a pair of games this coming weekend. FLC travels to No. 20 Colorado Mines (6-2-0, 4-1-0) for a 7 p.m. tilt Friday and to Colorado Christian (0-8-1, 0-5-0) for a 1 p.m. game Sunday.

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