Megan Shea

Pat Genovese

May 2, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College lacrosse team earned nine postseason awards from the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association this afternoon, including Co-Player and Coach of the Year accolades. Senior attacker Megan Shea (Mountain Lakes/Doylestown, Pa.) was named the Conference Co-Player of the Year, while longtime Head Coach Pat Genovese collected Coach of the Year honors.

Joining Shea on the first team are seniors Amanda Wynn (Loomis Chaffee/Aspen, Colo.) and Brigid Lynch (Manhasset/Manhasset, N.Y.). Receiving second-team accolades for the Herons are juniors Gretchen Lasda (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.) and Becca Splain (Middlebury Union/Middlebury, Vt.), and senior Jackie Toner (Geneva/Geneva, N.Y.), Junior Shana Hawrylchak (Guilderland/Altamont, N.Y.) earned honorable mention recognition.

The 2002 UCAA Player of the Year, Shea has led the Herons in scoring in each of her four seasons, the first to do so since Amy Hoover ’95. She currently leads William Smith with 41 goals and 14 assists this season, including a UCAA-best six game-winning goals. A 2002 third-team All-American, Shea’s 269 career points is third overall in William Smith history, while her 87 assists and 182 goals rank second and fourth on those respective career lists.

The only coach the program has known, Genovese has won more games than any other Division III women’s lacrosse coach, and is second to just Cindy Timchal of the University of Maryland on the women’s collegiate level. Guiding the Herons to 15 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, she has earned at least 10 wins in 16 of the previous 17 seasons and each of the last 13. A five-time NCAA Finalist, Genovese has amassed a career record of 291-102-1 for a .740 winning percentage.

A 2002 second-team All-American midfielder, Wynn leads the Herons with 22 draw controls and is third in scoring with 17 goals and nine assists. Earning All-UCAA recognition for the third consecutive season, her 52 career assists ranks seventh in William Smith history.

A three-time All-UCAA first-teamer, Lynch is a defensive stalwart for the Herons, causing 13 turnovers and picking up a team-high 46 ground balls this year. Garnering third-team All-American honors last season, she also was a four-year member of the field hockey team, earning second-team All-Region recognition her senior season.

A 2002 All-UCAA second-team attacker, Lasda is second on the team in scoring with 19 goals and league-leading 25 assists. Second on the team with 44 ground balls, her 64 career assists ranks sixth all-time and is just eight shy of the fifth spot.

One of the Herons’ most versatile players, Toner is one of William Smith’s best defenders, collecting 21 draw controls and 34 ground balls this season. She leads all defenders with 16 goals and one assist and was recently awarded the Evaleen C. Harrison ’19 Scholar Athlete Award for her dedication as a student-athlete.

A two-time member of the UCAA first-team, Splain sports a league-low 5.39 goals against average this season. Honored twice as the UCAA Goaltender of the Week, she posted 16 and 11 stops in wins over Union and Skidmore, respectively. Splain’s 39 career victories is third overall and just two shy of the second spot, while her career goals against average of 6.30 ranks first all-time.

A two-time member of the UCAA All-Academic team, Hawrylchak is an exemplary student-athlete. The Phi Beta Kappa is fifth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and four assists and was recently awarded the Cynthia Oyler ’93 Award presented to the senior who will be continuing her studies at the graduate level and displays outstanding athletic abilities.

In search of their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Herons will host the UCAA Tournament on May 3-4. William Smith will battle St. Lawrence (11-3, 6-2 UCAA) in the first semifinal on May 3, at 11 a.m., while Hamilton (7-5, 6-2 UCAA) and Skidmore (10-2, 6-2 UCAA) will meet at 1:30 p.m., for a chance to play in the championship game on May 4, at noon. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.

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