November 16, 2001

GENEVA, N.Y.--The William Smith College field hockey team won the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association with a perfect 7-0 record. The Herons produced a 13-3 regular season mark and were ranked fourth in the country heading into the NCAA Tournament.

The team was led by seniors Nicky Livingston (Whitney Point/Whitney Point, N.Y.) and Jackie Hall (Berkshire School/Newport, R.I.). The first William Smith teammates to eclipse the 100-point plateau in the same season, and just the seventh and eighth overall, Livingston was named a first-team All-American by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association earlier this week, while Hall graced the second-team.

The coaches of the UCAA turned their backs on those lofty accomplishments. While Hall was named to the UCAA first-team, Livingston -- considered the team's best all-around player -- was relegated to the second-team.

The 1998 UCAA Rookie of the Year and a two-time first-team All-UCAA selection, Livingston holds the William Smith records for single season and career assists. The 1999 ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament MVP and a member of the 2000 NCAA All-Tournament team, she also ranks in the top-10 in career goals (t-7th) and career points (t-4th). The three-time Regional All-American was third on the team in scoring this season with six goals and 10 assists for 22 points.

Hall led the team in scoring with 10 goals and six assists for 26 points. She matched Livingston's career point total with 118 on 49 goals and 20 assists. A three-time Regional All-American, she ranks fourth in career goals.

Joining Hall on the first-team was sophomore goalie Jessica Kulesa (Garden City/Garden City, N.Y.). After taking over the starting job five games into the season, Kulesa registered a 12-2 record with a 0.96 goals against average and an .878 save percentage, both numbers led the UCAA. She also logged 3.5 shutouts.

Joining Livingston on the second-team were junior forward Sheila McKevitt (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.), junior midfielder Erin Weir (Blair Academy/Califon, N.J.), junior back Brigid Lynch (Manhasset/Manhasset, N.Y.), and first-year back Lea Desforges (Woodstock Union/Stockbridge, Vt.).

A two-time Regional All-American, McKevitt was second on the team in scoring this season with 10 goals and four assists. She ranks 12th in career goals (29), 18th in career assists (12), and 13th in career points (70).

Weir, who scored the game-winning goal in the 2000 NCAA Championship game, received the first postseason recognition of her career earlier this month when she was named to the NFHCA Regional All-America second-team. She started all 18 games for the Herons this season, scoring four goals and assisting on three others. She also recorded two defensive saves.

Lynch was one of the Herons' top-defenders. A starter in all 18 games, she was named an NFHCA second-team Regional All-American earlier this month.

Desforges emerged as a talented defender during her rookie season. She led the team in defensive saves with four. She played in 17 games, while helping limit the opposition to just 21 goals this season.

St. Lawrence, which finished third in the league with a 5-2 record, placed the most players on the first-team (4).

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