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3 Herons named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District
November 11, 2005
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Laura Burnett-Kurie |
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Pria Young |
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Nikki Dudley |
GENEVA, N.Y.—Three William Smith College soccer players recently were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 1 Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Sophomore striker Laura Burnett-Kurie (Oyster River/Durham, N.H.) received first-team honors, while senior back Pria Young (Council Rock/Richboro, Pa.) and junior goalie Nikki Dudley (Chittenango/Chittenango, N.Y.) earned second-team praise.
A first-team All-Liberty League pick, Burnett-Kurie leads the conference in goals (18), game-winning goals (7), and points (41). The six-time Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week tied the William Smith records for goals and points in a game with four goals in a win over Clarkson. Burnett-Kurie is a 2005 Liberty League All-Academic team selection and was the 2004 Liberty League Rookie of the Year. A starter in 34 of the 37 games she played for William Smith, she boasts 24 career goals and eight career assists for 56 points. Burnett-Kurie is a psychology major.
As a first-team selection, Burnett-Kurie advances to the national ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® ballot. Kim Rausch ’98, a first-team selection, was the last Heron soccer player to earn a spot on the Academic All-America team.
A key member of William Smith’s vaunted defense, Young also is a proven contributor to the Herons’ offense. The team leader in assists, she has recorded six helpers this season, mostly on corner kicks. Defensively, William Smith was the last NCAA soccer team, men or women, any division, to allow a goal in 2005, blanking its opposition for the first 871 minutes and 42 seconds of the season. Through 17 games, Young & Co., have allowed just three goals, one fewer than the William Smith single season record. A three-time Liberty League All-Academic selection, Young, who also plays basketball for the Herons, is a chemistry and English double major.
One of the top goaltenders in the nation, Dudley ranks third in Division III in goals against average (0.17) and save percentage (.951). She was named the Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week seven times this season and registered a season-high 11 saves in a 1-1 draw against Union. The three-time All-Liberty League pick has started 59 consecutive games, posting a 0.49 goals against average, an .891 save percentage, and a 42-10-6 record, including 37 shutouts. A two-time Liberty League All-Academic Team member, Dudley is an environmental studies major.
Ninth-ranked William Smith (15-1-1) begins NCAA Tournament play at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, when the Herons tangle with No. 14 Rochester (15-1-2) in Schenectady, N.Y. The winner will advance to a second round match at 1 p.m. on Nov. 13, against the winner of the Ithaca at Union match.
To earn a place on the Academic All-District teams, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade point average, be a starter or significant reserve, and be at least a sophomore in academic standing. CoSIDA selects eight Academic All-District teams and chooses the Academic All-America teams from the eight District first-teams.
CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs: football, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s track & field/cross country, women’s track & field/cross country, men’s at-large, and women’s at-large. A first-team, second-team, and third-team are selected in both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and NAIA) Divisions.