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3 Herons named to NFHCA All-America teams
December 1 , 2004
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First-team All-American Sarah Silverio |
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First-team All-American Sophie Dennis |
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Third-team All-American Maggie Dolan |
GENEVA, N.Y.—Three William Smith College student-athletes were named to the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-America teams. Senior midfielder Sarah Silverio (Radnor/Villanova, N.Y.) and sophomore forward Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) earned first-team accolades, while junior forward Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.) garnered third-team honors.
Despite missing five midseason games due to illness, Silverio made her second straight appearance on the All-America teams. She earned second-team honors in 2003. The two-time All-Liberty League selection scored a goal and assisted on four others this season. During a 67-game career that included three seasons as a starter, Silverio scored 10 goals, including five game-winners, and posted seven assists. She was one of two William Smith seniors to help lead the North to victory in the annual North-South Senior All-Star Game.
“In Sarah’s case, this is recognition of an outstanding career, and in particular her senior season,” Head Coach Sally Scatton said. “She’s a tenacious defender and an excellent distributor of the ball. In addition to that, Sarah was a great leader on and off the field.”
Dennis produced the second most prolific scoring season in Heron history in 2004. She led the Liberty League with 53 points on 22 goals and nine assists. Only Kimberly O’Gorman ’88 has scored more goals (30) or points (67) in a season (1987) for William Smith. Dennis is a two-time first-team All-Liberty League selection and is 10 points shy of becoming just the 10th Heron to record 100 career points. She was named to womensfieldhockey.com’s All-America first-team earlier this week.
“For a sophomore to receive first-team All-America recognition, that’s quite an accomplishment,” Scatton said. “Sophie’s an explosive attacker. She has wonderful one-on-one skills, she has the ability to take the ball the length of the field, and she certainly has the ability to finish the play in the circle.
“Sophie ranks, I’d say, among the top-10 forwards to ever play at William Smith, even just in her sophomore year.”
A two-time NFHCA All-North Atlantic pick, Dolan finished second on the team in scoring this season with 13 goals and nine assists. She was second in the conference in assists, third in points, and fourth in goals. Dolan scored a season-high four points in five different games. In 55 career games (41 starts), she has recorded 21 goals, including five-game winners, and 16 assists.
“I’m sure people recognized Maggie’s point scoring, but the things people don’t see in her play is her ability to transition the ball at midfield,” Scatton said. “She does a great job of seeing the opening player, of passing the ball to her teammates in the circle for assists, and she does a wonderful job of tracking back on defense.
“Maggie’s very versatile. Her defensive skills match her offensive abilities.”
With an 18-3 overall record, William Smith posted its 20th consecutive winning season. The Herons were 7-0 in Liberty League play and won the league tournament championship—the program’s sixth conference crown—and the accompanying automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Ranked fifth in the nation, William Smith’s 15th journey into the NCAA fray reached the semifinal round for the sixth time, before falling to eventual champion Salisbury University 2-1 in overtime.