PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Sophomore Natalie Merrick (East Longmeadow, Mass.) of the field hockey team and senior Max Goodman (South Salem, N.Y.) of the men's cross country team have been named the PSU Female and Male Athletes of the Month for October, respectively, sponsored by the New Hampshire Army National Guard.
 
Merrick made an immediate impact in her return from injury, earning Little East Conference (LEC) Goalkeeper of the Week honors twice and helping field hockey secure the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament. Goodman recorded two top-five finishes in three races, highlighted by an individual runner-up performance that helped lead the Panthers to the team title at the Western New England Invitational.
 
Merrick recorded 64 saves and an .821 save percentage in 553:37 of action during October. She allowed 14 goals for a 1.52 goals-against average, posted one shutout and earned LEC Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
 
After missing the Panthers' first nine games, Merrick made her season debut on Oct. 2, turning aside 13 shots in a 2-1 win over Keene State. She stopped nine shots in the second half alone as Plymouth State earned its first victory over the Owls on Panther Field and snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series. Her performance earned her the first of two LEC Goalkeeper of the Week selections, announced Oct. 5.
 
She continued to deliver throughout the month, making a season-high 15 saves in a 3-2 double-overtime setback to VTSU Castleton on Oct. 20 before adding 11 saves in a 3-1 win at Eastern Connecticut. The performances earned Merrick her second LEC Goalkeeper of the Week honor on Oct. 26. She also recorded a three-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over UMaine Farmington on Oct. 13.
 
Merrick helped the Panthers secure the No. 2 seed in the LEC Tournament with a 6-1 win over WestConn on Oct. 31. The victory secured the program's first opportunity to host an LEC semifinal since 2011. She also recorded 11 saves in a 3-1 loss at Southern Maine, which finished the regular season as the conference's top seed.
 
Goodman turned in three outstanding performances during October, recording a pair of top-five finishes and earning All-LEC First Team honors for the second consecutive year. He opened the month with a 13th-place finish at the Keene State Invitational, clocking an 8K time of 25:31.8 to place third among LEC competitors and help the Panthers finish seventh in a 31-team field.
 
Goodman followed with a second-place finish at the Western New England Invitational, crossing the line in 26:10.98 to help Plymouth State claim the team championship. All five of the Panthers' scoring runners finished among the top 12 as PSU totaled 40 points to comfortably outpace runner-up Worcester State (93 points) in the 21-team field.
 
He capped the month with a fifth-place finish at the LEC Championship, finishing in 25:47.4 to earn All-LEC First Team honors for the second year. Goodman also earned Second Team recognition in 2024, giving him three consecutive years of All-LEC honors. He was the top Panther finisher as Plymouth State placed fourth among nine teams with 97 points.
 
The men's cross country team returns to action at the NCAA Division III East Regional on Saturday (Nov. 14) at the Wainwright Recreation Complex in South Portland, Maine. The field hockey team advanced to the LEC semifinals as the No. 2 seed, finishing the season with a 7-12 record.