Sophie Dennis '07

Coach Sally Scatton

November 11, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association announced its All-UCAA Field Hockey honors late last night, and the William Smith Herons cleaned up. In addition to placing seven players on the first and second teams, more than any other school, William Smith boasts the league’s Rookie of the Year in forward Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) and the Coach of the Year in Sally Scatton.

A first-team All-UCAA selection, Dennis was joined on the top squad by senior goalie Jessica Kulesa (Garden City/Garden City, N.Y.) and junior midfielder Sarah Silverio (Radnor/Villanova, Pa.). The Herons placed four players on the second-team: sophomore forward Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.), sophomore midfielder Amy Kuzio (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.), junior defender Lea Desforges (Woodstock Union/Stockbridge, Vt.) and sophomore defender Lauren Fuller (Shaker/Loudonville, N.Y.).

Dennis is William Smith’s leading scorer. She leads the conference and broke the William Smith record for a first-year with 17 goals. Dennis also sports three assists for 37 points, second in the conference and one shy of the William Smith rookie record, a mark that has stood for 16-years. She has four game-winning goals this season, including the overtime tally that toppled then seventh-ranked Skidmore during the regular season.

In her 16th season as the Herons’ boss, Scatton led William Smith to a 14-5 overall record, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the UCAA. She boasts a record of 260-71-3 with the Herons, including three NCAA Division III National Championships. Scatton also garnered the UCAA Coach of the Year award last season.

A three-time All-UCAA selection, Kulesa leads the UCAA in goals against average (0.74) and is second in save percentage (.840). She started all 19 games for the Herons and posted five shutouts. Kulesa won the starting job as a sophomore over a returning All-American and has started 54 consecutive games. For her career, she sports a 40-14 record, with a 1.00 goals against average and 269 saves. Kulesa ranks third in career wins, fifth in career goals against average, and seventh in career saves.

A first-time All-UCAA honoree, Silverio is a key player in the Herons’ transition game. A two-year starter, she has a goal—the game-winner against Oswego—and an assist this season. For her career, Silverio has nine goals, including five game-winners, and three assists.

Dolan has blossomed in her first season as a starter. Second on the team in scoring, she boasts eight goals and seven assists, ranking in the top-10 in the conference in goals (9th), assists (8th), and points (9th).

Kuzio leads William Smith in assists and is sixth in the conference with eight. A two-year starter, she is an important player in the Herons’ transition game and is the stopper on the team’s offensive penalty corner unit.

Desforges is arguably one of the best defenders in the UCAA. A two-year starter, she has played in 57 of William Smith’s 58 games over the past three seasons. William Smith’s stopper back, Desforges has an exceptional knack for always being in the right place at the right time, leading the Herons’ defensive unit that held opponents to a league low 0.71 goals per game. She also earned second-team All-UCAA honors in 2001.

A dual threat, Fuller is a tenacious defender and possesses a potent shot. The Herons’ primary option on offensive penalty corners, she scored nine goals, placing her second on the team and eighth in the UCAA. A clutch performer, Fuller scored a team-high five game-winning goals, the second highest total in the UCAA.

Ranked 12th in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, William Smith is the top seed in the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament. The Herons will host eighth-seeded Oneonta at 5 p.m., on Nov. 12. If the Herons advance, they will host the tournament’s semifinal and championship games on Nov. 15-16.

Back to William Smith Field Hockey