Recently named a Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association West Division First Team All-Star, Johnson aided the Trojans to a 10-5-2 record in her final year on the turf at Charles A. Lawson Field.

“She absolutely deserves it,” Southwestern head coach Derek Houser said late Wednesday. “She has trained really hard for all of the time that I have known her, and she’s been very important to what we have done the last couple of years with the style that we play. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without a player like her.”

A starter under Houser since her freshman year, Johnson actually first made an impact for the Trojans on defense while four-year starter Alanna Dibble was still between the goalposts.

“She didn’t play in goal until last year. As great as she is in goal, I could put her anywhere on the field and she would probably be one of the best players,” Houser said. “As a sophomore we were 14-4 that year and a lot of it had to do with her play. I was very confident when it was her time to take over in goal. She has been outstanding since day one.”

Southwestern senior Hannah Johnson will attend Slippery Rock University in the fall. P-J file photo

This past year Johnson stopped 121 shots, giving up just 16 goals for an average of 1.12 per game and a save percentage of 88.3.

On Sept. 5, the senior led the Trojans to a 2-0 win over eventual Section VI Class C champion Frewsburg, stopping 14 shots along the way.

“She had to make two really big saves that a lot of players probably don’t make,” Houser recalled. “That gave us an opportunity to beat a team that went to the Far West Regionals. Last year when we played Allegany-Limestone she stood on her head. Some of the stops that she made were unbelievable.”

Johnson is certainly headed to a program that is trending in the right direction. Slippery Rock finished the year at 16-3 and 14-2 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play under head coach Jessica Griggs in 2019.

While her career with the Trojans includes strong performances both in and out of the net, Houser expects Johnson to continue on her path as a goaltender.

“I know she’s been highly motivated to get to the next level and no one deserves it more than her,” he said. “She’s very calm, she can read plays so well. … She has grown a lot as a keeper, but also as a person. She has developed into a leader and someone who can see the game two or three steps ahead. You just don’t have a lot of keepers that can do that.”

This year sophomore Emma Yoder started in all 19 games for the Lions, stopping 68 shots and allowing 15 goals.