Oyster River High School soccer goalie is Gatorade Player of Year

By HARRISON THORP

Sports Editor

Laura Comeau, Oyster River

DURHAM — Laura Comeau has always had a thirst for competition, so maybe it’s only fitting she was named the New Hampshire High School Girls Soccer Player of the Year by Gatorade Thirst Quencher this week.

The Oyster River girls soccer goalie extraordinaire adds this most recent honor to many others she has accumulated in the culmination of an illustrious four-year career on the Bobcats varsity.

In addition to winning first team all-state and all New England recognition this year, Comeau was named to the Lion’s Cup squad as well as Player of the Year by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

On Thursday, upon learning of her selection, Comeau deferred a lot of the credit for the award to her teammates and parents, but added her competitive nature runs deep.

"I work hard at everything I do, and I’m a perfectionist," she said. "I owe a lot to my family, too. They’ve given me a lot of support."That affinity for perfection helped Comeau play near flawless goal much of last season, during which she had 10 shutouts and allowed just five goals, leading the Bobcats to an 18-1 mark before losing in the Class I state finals to St. Thomas, 1-0.

Oyster River soccer coach Lynda Nelson had nothing but high praise for her star goalie.

"It’s been a great experience for our team to see her type of effort and commitment," said Nelson in a statement released by Gatorade. "Over the past four years, she’s continued to develop and improve, consistently bringing her game to the next level. Her determination and work effort are incomparable."

Comeau, who maintains a 3.1 GPA at Oyster River, will attend the University of Virginia next year on a soccer scholarship and major in sports medicine, she said.