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Herons place 11 on NFHCA All-Academic Squad
March 8 , 2005
GENEVA, N.Y.--The William Smith College field hockey team placed eleven players on the 2004 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III National Academic Squad. To earn a place on the National Academic squad, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.3 grade point average through the 2004 fall semester.
As a team, the Herons posted a 3.4 grade point average, with 22 of the squad’s 24 players boasting a GPA of 3.0 or better
First-year midfielder Skylar Beaver (Williamsville North/Williamsville, N.Y.), senior midfielder Angie Dann (Marathon Central/Marathon, N.Y.), sophomore forward Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.), senior defender Lea Desforges (Woodstock Union/Stockbridge, Vermont), junior defenders Melissa Fitch (Oyster River/Durham, N.H.) and Lauren Fuller (Shaker/Loudonville, N.Y.), sophomore midfielder Minnie Muzquiz (Fayetteville-Manlius/Syracuse, N.Y.), sophomore defender Katelin Nickerson (Yarmouth/Yarmouth, Maine), sophomore defender Liz Saucier (Old Town/Old Town, Maine), senior midfielder Sarah Silverio (Radnor/Villanova, Pa.), and first-year forward Mairin Wilson (Fountain Valley/Balmoral, Australia) represented William Smith on the National Academic Squad.
Dann, Desforges, Fitch, Fuller, Muzquiz, and Silverio were also members of the 2003 NFHCA National Academic squad.
William Smith finished the 2004 season with an 18-3 overall record, including a perfect 7-0 in the Liberty League. The Herons used a 3-2 victory over St. Lawrence to capture the Liberty League Tournament crown and secure the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament’s 18-team field. After receiving a bye in the first round, William Smith recorded victories over Wittenberg and Ursinus to advance to the NCAA Semifinal for the sixth time. The Herons lost in overtime to eventual national champion Salisbury, 2-1, finishing the season ranked fifth in the final NHFCA coaches poll.
One of the most successful programs in the nation, William Smith field hockey teams have posted 20 consecutive winning seasons and 18 straight postseason appearances, including NCAA Division III national championships in 1992, 1997, and 2000. In the last six seasons, 15 Herons have earned All-American honors, including seven first-team selections.