 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Herons sweep Liberty League’s top honors
November 2, 2006
 |
Liberty League Player of the Year |
 |
Liberty League Rookie of the Year |
 |
Sally Scatton was voted the Liberty |
GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College field hockey team swept the Liberty League’s top three awards and placed a league-high six players on the All-Liberty League teams. Senior forward Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) was named the Player of the Year for the second straight season, first-year forward Kaitlyn Hamilton (Harpursville/ Harpursville, N.Y.) was tabbed the Rookie of the Year, and Head Coach Sally Scatton and her assistants were voted the Coaching Staff of the Year.
The Herons placed three student-athletes on the All-Liberty League first team, two more on the second team, and one honorable mention. Joining Dennis on the first team are senior midfielders Brooke Atwood (Marathon/Marathon, N.Y.) and Liz Saucier (Old Town/Old Town, Maine). Junior back Skylar Beaver (Williamsville North/Williamsville, N.Y.) earned a spot on the second team with Hamilton, while junior back Brittney Paye (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.) received honorable mention.
The two-time Liberty League Player of the Year leads the Liberty League in goals, goals per game, assists, assists per game, points, and points per game. Dennis ranks second in the nation in points. The winner of five consecutive Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week awards recorded six points or more five times, including a career-high eight (3-2) against Ramapo. The two-time first-team All-American holds the William Smith career records for goals (84), assists (38), and points (206). Dennis is just the 17th player in Division III history to score 200-plus career points.
Hamilton led all Liberty League first-years and ranked third overall in goals (11) and points (28). She was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week twice and the Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week once this season. On Oct. 27 at Nazareth, Hamilton broke the William Smith single game record for points with nine. She also tied the Heron game record for goals with four against the Golden Flyers.
Now in her 19th season, Scatton, with the help of assistant coaches Missy Krempa and Katie Flowers, led William Smith to a Liberty League best 14-3 record, finishing atop the conference standings for the fourth consecutive season. She became the 18th coach in collegiate field hockey history to record her 300th career win and enters the conference tournament with a 309-82-3 record (.788). This is the sixth time Scatton has been so honored by the Liberty League.
A three-time All-Liberty League pick, Atwood moved up to the first team after receiving honorable mention the past two seasons. She has eight goals and eight assists this season, both career-highs, and is fourth on the team in points with 24. The three-year starter ranks in the top 10 in the conference in goals (t-10th), assists (t-4th), and points (t-6th). Over the past four seasons, Atwood has recorded 18 goals, including six game-winners, and 19 assists for 55 points.
Also a three-time All-Liberty League selection, Saucier was a second-team pick last season and an honorable mention in 2004. She is tied for the League lead and eighth in the nation in assists. Saucier has more assists this season (13) than she had in her previous three seasons combined (12). She also boasts six goals and 25 points, the latter ranks third on the team and fifth in the conference. Saucier has started all 79 games over the past four season, notching 19 goals, including five game-winners, and 25 assists for 63 points.
Beaver is the sweeper back on the Herons’ stingy defensive unit that allowed a league-low 7.53 shots per game. In conference play, William Smith yielded just five goals, a conference best 0.71 goals against average. Beaver is tied for the team lead and second in the Liberty League with three defensive saves. Now in her second season as a starter, the 2005 All-Liberty League honorable mention has seven career defensive saves, tied for the most since 1999 (the first season the statistic was regularly reflected in the season stats).
Paye is also an important member of the defense. She is a key contributor on both defensive and offensive penalty corners. Paye is the top scoring back in the William Smith line up, boasting five goals and an assist for 11 points. A clutch performer, three of her five tallies have been game-winners. The first-year starter has played in 51 games over the past three seasons.
Ranked 10th in the latest NFHCA Division III Coaches Poll, William Smith is the top seed in the Liberty League tournament, which begins Nov. 3, when the Herons host No. 4 Rensselaer at 11 a.m. on McCooey Field. No. 2 St. Lawrence will square off with No. 3 Skidmore at 1:30 p.m.
The winners will meet for the conference title and the accompanying automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at 2 p.m. on Nov. 4.
Admission to all three games is free.
Fans that can’t make the trip to Geneva can follow all of the action online via the tournament homepage.