August 29, 2006

GENEVA, N.Y. — The William Smith soccer team was picked 14th in the D3Kicks.com Top 25 preseason poll. This poll is the only soccer poll that covers every Division III program in the country. Messiah College sits atop the list, with The College of New Jersey and Wheaton (Ill.) College rounding out the top three.

Head Coach Aliceann Wilber returns for her 27th season at the helm and welcomes back 20 players from last year’s team that posted a 15-2-1 overall record and a 6-0-1 Liberty League mark. Additionally, 22 newcomers will join the 2006 squad to add depth and athleticism to an already strong team.

Last fall, the Herons went unbeaten in regular season play, earning an NCAA Tournament bid in the process. William Smith did not allow a single goal until its 10th game of the season when it tied Union 1-1 in overtime.

Senior goalkeeper Nikki Dudley (Chittenango/Chittenango, N.Y.) and junior forward Laura Burnett-Kurie (Oyster River/Durham, N.H.) top the list of returning players this fall.

A seven-time Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week last season, Dudley returns in goal after posting a 15-2-1 record and allowing only four goals all season. She also collected first-team honors from the Liberty League, as well as All-State and NSCAA All-Northeast awards.

Burnett-Kurie led the team in goals (18) and points (41), and ranked second on the team in assists (5) in 2005. The six-time Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week was responsible for seven game-winning goals, was named the NYSWCAA Offensive Player of the Year, and earned All-State and All-Northeast first-team accolades.

The Herons play a demanding schedule this season that includes three teams ranked in the top 25: No. 4 Rochester, No. 5 Trinity (Texas), and No.19 Union. William Smith will open its season on Sept. 2 when it takes on Wittenberg in the first round of the Nazareth Tournament, and will host Elmira on Sept. 10 for its first home game.

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