April 25, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sophomore goalkeeper Austin Kaut (Morton) of the No. 14/15 Penn State men's lacrosse team has been named a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award, which is presented to the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States.
One of 25 nominees and three representatives from the CAA, Kaut has helped anchor the nation's 10th-ranked defense (7.77 goals per game) en route to an 8-5 overall mark and 4-1 conference record. The Morton, Pa., native, has continued his dominant play from a season ago as he ranks sixth in the NCAA in save percentage (.592), 10th in goals-against average (7.61) and 12th in saves per game (10.62).
During Penn State's current four-game win streak, Kaut has compiled a .597 save percentage and has kept his opponents to single-digit goal totals in each game.
Kaut has recorded at least 10 saves in seven games, including a season-high 18 stops in a 4-3 overtime victory against then-No. 2/4 Notre Dame. He received CAA Player of the Week honors following his performance against the Fighting Irish as the Nittany Lions defeated their highest ranked opponent in program history.
The five award finalists will be announced May 10 with the winner unveiled May 31 at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Prior to the 25 nominees, the Tewaaraton Award Watch List consisted of 82 student-athletes.