The Chico State women's soccer team started last week in seventh place. Three matches and seven days later, the Wildcats were just two points out of first place thanks in large part to the heroics of Emma Hofmann. The team's true freshman goalkeeper was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. Hofmann handled 20 saves, a number of them of the spectacular variety, and kept three opponents off the scoreboard as the Wildcats went 2-0-1 during a crucial week of action. The second shutout of the week gave Hofmann and the Wildcats and new school record for consecutive clean sheets. The third of the week extended that record to seven, just three shy of the CCAA record.
 
Hofmann has now keyed eight clean sheets in the Wildcats'10 conference matches and is tied for the national lead with 10 on the season. Hofmann also leads her CCAA counterparts in goals-against average (.535) and ranks third with a sparkling save percentage of .877.
 
Sometimes a shutout is more the product of a team's dominance than a goalkeeper's dexterity. That was not the case this week. Hofmann made a season-high seven saves in a 1-0 win against first-place Sonoma State on Monday as the Wildcats became the first team all season to blank the Seawolves. The Folsom High School product made seven more saves in a 2-0 victory at Cal State L.A. Friday. And in Sunday's scoreless draw at Cal Poly Pomona, Hofmann turned away six shots on goal, including three highlight-reel efforts in overtime.
 
Hofmann and the Wildcats will wrap up the regular season at home against Humboldt State Thursday at 2 p.m. and could claim the California Collegiate Athletic Association crown with a win and some help from around the CCAA. A victory would guarantee a finish no lower than third place for the Wildcats. Not bad for a team that was tied for seventh a little over a week ago.