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Field hockey travels to Messiah for NCAA opener
November 7 , 2005
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GENEVA, N.Y.—The 11th-ranked William Smith field hockey team will head out on the road for their 16th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. The Herons, who earned an automatic bid by capturing the Liberty League Championship, are one of eight teams in the 24-team field to earn a first round bye.
William Smith (16-3) will travel to Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., on Nov. 11, to square off against the winner of the Washington & Lee University (15-5) at Montclair State University (16-2) game. The Herons will play in the second second round game at Messiah at 1 p.m. The host Falcons (17-2) will face the winner of Alvernia (17-3) at Lynchburg (15-6) in the first match at 10 a.m. The winners of the two second round games will meet in the quarterfinals on Nov. 12, at 1 p.m.
Ticket prices for each game are $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and $3 for children and students with proper ID from the participating institutions. Children under age 5 will be admitted free.
William Smith is led by Head Coach Sally Scatton. Now in her 18th season with the Herons, she has compiled a record of 294-78-3 (.788), leading William Smith to 15 NCAA Tournament and three ECAC Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament appearances.
Offensively, William Smith is led by first-team All-Liberty League selections junior Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) and senior Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.). Dennis, the conference’s Player of the Year, broke the Heron career record for points and tied the career record for goals on Saturday in the Liberty League Championship match. She now has 59 goals and 24 assists for 143 points. Dolan leads the team in goals with 21. Only two players in William Smith history have scored more goals in a single season.
Defensively, three of the five starters were honored last week when the Liberty League announced its postseason awards: Rookie of the Year Charlotte Styer (Governor Mifflin/Mohnton, Pa.), second-team selection senior Lauren Fuller (Shaker/Loudonville, N.Y.), and honorable mention sophomore Skylar Beaver (Williamsville North/Williamsville, N.Y.), not to mention senior goalie Sue Jordan (Boothbay/Boothbay, Maine), a member of the 2004 NCAA All-Tournament Team.
William Smith is 27-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including National Championships in 1992, 1997, and 2000. The Herons have reached the semifinal round six times, including last season’s squad that compiled an 18-3 overall record.