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Heron title defense begins at home
October 28, 2001
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.--The William Smith College field hockey team's defense of their 2000 NCAA Division III Championship will begin at home this season against the College of Wooster, on Nov. 3. The Herons will battle the Fighting Scots at 11 a.m., at the 2001 Artificial Turf Stadium.
William Smith will also host the Skidmore College vs. Mount Holyoke College game on Nov. 3. That contest tentatively set for 2 p.m. The winners will meet at 1 p.m., on Nov. 4 at the 2001 Artificial Turf Stadium. The winner of that contest will advance to the national semifinals at Springfield College on Nov. 10.
William Smith earned its 14th NCAA Tournament bid by winning the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association with a perfect 7-0 record. The Herons are ranked fourth in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll. Against this year's tournament field, William Smith is 3-2, notching victories over Skidmore College (2-1 OT), St. Lawrence University (2-1), and Gettysburg College (4-2), while to SUNY-Cortland (2-1 2OT) and Messiah College (2-1 OT).
Led by Head Coach Sally Scatton, who sports a 231-58-3 record (.796) at the helm of the Herons, William Smith has won 11 of its past 12 games heading into the tournament. Scatton is 21-9 (.700) in 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Offensively, the Herons boast three 20-point scorers. Senior Jackie Hall (Berkshire School/Newport, R.I.) and junior Sheila McKevitt (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.) have set the pace with 22 points each, while senior Nicky Livingston (Whitney Point/Whitney Point, N.Y.) is close behind with 20.
Earlier this season, Livingston and Hall became the first set of William Smith Herons to record 100 career points in the same season. Livingston, who is also the school's career and single season assists leader, boasts 116 career points (4th) on 40 goals (7th) and 36 assists, while Hall sports 114 points (5th) on 47 goals (4th) and 20 assists (8th).
Defensively, sophomore goalie Jessica Kulesa (Garden City/Patchogue, N.Y.) and a solid core of defenders have limited the opposition to just 1.19 goals per game this season, including five shutouts. First-year back Lea Desforges (Woodstock Union/Stockbridge, Vt.) leads the team in defensive saves (recorded when a player other than a goalie stops a shot on goal) with four.
William Smith is 25-10 (.714) in 13 trips to the tourney, including national championships in 1992, 1997, and 2000. The Herons also advanced to the championship game in 1987 and 1998.
Ticket prices will be announced later in the week.