Pulteney Street SurveySpring 2019
Winter ROUND UP
by Ken DeBolt
WILLIAM SMITH ICE HOCKEY (18-8-2, 12-4-2)
It was a record-breaking year on the ice for the Herons. The team earned its first home playoff game, shutting out Neumann 6-0 in the opening round of the UCHC Tournament, the program's first playoff victory. The win was the 17th of the season, a new highwater mark for the program, surpassing last season's 16-win total. William Smith added an 18th win with a 2-0 shutout of Nazareth in the UCHC semifinals, earning the program's first trip to the conference championship game. The run came to an end there as third-ranked Elmira defended its league title on its way back to the NCAA tournament.
Individually, only once in the first four seasons of the program had a player produced at least 30 points in a season. Four players accomplished that feat this season: Gina Scibetta '20 (40), Jules Kennedy '21 (37), Abbey Luth '22 (31) and Stephanie Hampton '19 (30). The team's top four goal scorers have all surpassed the previous season record with Scibetta holding the new standard with 22.
The record-breaking wasn't reserved for the offense. Goalie Olivia Williams '21 posted five shutouts, two more than the previous season record, while earning 13 wins, matching Maggie Salmon's mark from last season. Scibetta also made history, becoming the first Heron skater to garner All-America honors. She was named to the AHCA's second team.
Six Herons collected seven awards when the UCHC announced its season honors. Luth was voted the Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Kennedy and Scibetta were tabbed second team All-UCHC, while Emily Martino '21, Laura Rollins '19 and Williams received All-NEHC honorable mention.
HOBART BASKETBALL (17-11, 12-6)
Colin Dougherty '19, Jamal Lucas '19 and Sean McKinless '19 capped their careers with a second appearance in the Liberty League Championship game. Although the Statesmen came up short of the title, the season was filled with memorable performances. Hobart beat defending league champion Union twice, won at eventual league champ Skidmore during the regular season and topped second-seeded St. Lawrence in the tournament semifinals.
Dougherty finished his career with 1,715 points, second only to record-holder Richie Bonney '14. Lucas also ended up in the top 10 with 1,470 points. Tucker Lescoe '20 recorded his third straight season with 70 or more 3-pointers and became the 30th 1,000-point scorer in program history during the tournament win over the Saints. Edens Fleurizard '20 also had an impressive season, blocking 53 shots, the most since Randy Hudson '79 set the season record with 113 in 1978-79.
Dougherty and Lucas were both rewarded with their third career All- Liberty League awards. Dougherty picked up first team honors for the second straight year, while Lucas landed on the second team. Additionally, Dougherty collected All-East honors from the NABC and D3hoops.com. (Photo: Jamal Lucas '19)
WILLIAM SMITH BASKETBALL (17-9, 12-6)
Behind a fierce commitment to team defense, the Heron basketball team reached the 17-win plateau for the second time in three years. The team dominated the boards, setting single season records for total rebounds (1,244) and rebounds per game (47.8). William Smith led the Liberty League and ranked in the top 20 in the nation in rebounding margin (5th, +13.2), rebounds per game (11th), total rebounds (24th) and defensive rebounds per game (12th, 31.0).
After winning 12 of their final 15 regular season games, the Herons drew a tough assignment in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament. Fourth-seeded William Smith hosted fifth-seeded Union, a team that beat the Herons twice in the regular season, including a 67-61 setback in Schenectady to end the regular season. Trailing by six at halftime, William Smith controlled the second half, outscoring the Dutchwomen 44-23 to advance to the semifinals. Olivia Hughes '19 led the charge with a careerhigh 19 points. The Herons lost at eventual league champion Ithaca to end the season.
The team was led by Liberty League Player of the Year Mia Morrison '19 (see story on p. 35). Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou '21 earned All-Liberty League honorable mention after averaging 11.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg. She made a team-high 52 3-pointers, tied for ninth on the program's single season list.
WILLIAM SMITH SWIMMING & DIVING (6-1)
The Herons posted their 13th consecutive season with a winning record in dual meets while toppling several program records along the way. Anna Leffler '20 led the way, breaking eight program or pool records during the season, including two in the first meet of the season against Utica.
On opening day, Leffler broke Bristol pool records in the 200 backstroke and the 400 individual medley as the Herons beat the Pioneers. About a month later, she broke the program record in the 400 IM at RIT's Don Richards Invitational, helping William Smith to a second place finish.
In the final home meet of the season, a double dual meet against Cazenovia and Wells, another Bristol pool record fell. As the Herons dispatched both the Wildcats and Express, Leffler, Katie Mullin '22, Emily Mink '22 and Lindsay Fleischer '21 trimmed more than 1.5 seconds off the three-yearold standard.
William Smith sent the season off with a bang, eclipsing five records across the four-day Liberty League Championships, as the Herons finished sixth out of 10 teams, up one spot from the 2018 championship. On Day 1, Mullin got the party started, taking down the 50 backstroke record that was originally set by Heron Hall of Honor inductee Vibeke Hopkinson '83 in 1983.
On Day 2, Leffler broke the 400 IM for the second and third times this season. In the morning prelims, she lowered her own record set back in December at RIT. Then, in the evening finals, Leffler did it again, finishing third in 4:36.05, representing an eight-second improvement over the record at the start of the season.
On Day 3, Leffler broke two more marks. Leading off the 800 free relay, she posted a split of 1:56.05, breaking the 200 free mark set by Molly Egan '21 a year earlier. Leffler's teammates on the relay kept up the record-breaking pace. Mullin, Mink and Egan followed to post a time of 7:49.74, shattering a 30-year-old record by nearly 13 seconds. (Photo: Anna Leffler '20, Katie Mullin '22, Emily Mink '22 and Lindsay Fleischer '21)
WILLIAM SMITH SQUASH (10-10)
For the seventh time in the past eight years, the Herons competed for the Epps Cup at the College Squash Association Championships. Ranked 27th in the nation entering the championship, William Smith won its quarterfinal 7-2 over No. 30 Georgetown. In the semifinals, the Herons squared off with No. 26 Haverford, winning again by a 7-2 count. In the Epps final, William Smith took on No. 28 Connecticut College. The Herons won the top three matches, but ultimately fell 6-3.
Gabby Fraser '20 and Madison Bradley '19 ended the season on twin six-match winning streaks. Bradley (12-8) and Michaelann Denton '19 (12-4) shared the team lead for wins.
HOBART SQUASH (8-13)
The Statesmen entered the College Squash Association Championships ranked 27th in the nation. In the quarterfinals of the Conroy Cup, Hobart cruised past No. 30 Haverford 8-1, but fell to No. 26 Colby 7-2 in the semifinals and No. 29 Connecticut College 6-3 in the third place match. Mohamed Abdelhafez '22 earned a team-high 14 wins, playing at No. 1 and No. 2 in the lineup. (Photo: Mohamed Abdelhafez '22)
HOBART LACROSSE (8-1)
Hobart showcased a high-powered offense in February. In a 21-12 win over Canisius on opening day, Eric Holden '20 fired home seven goals, the most ever scored by a Division I Statesman. The record stood for just one week. At Siena seven days later, Jason Knox '22 torched the Saints for nine goals, the most ever scored by an NEC player. Even more impressive, faceoff specialist Matthew Pedicine '19 won an NCAA Division I single game record 32 faceoffs and picked up an NEC record-tying 20 ground balls as Hobart beat Siena 22-12.
The Statesmen lost their Boswell Field season debut 19-16 to No. 4 Cornell, the most goals Hobart has scored against a ranked opponent since 1995.
After the setback to the Big Red, the Statesmen returned to form, rattling off six straight wins heading into the annual Kraus- Simmons Trophy game against Syracuse. In each of its first nine games, Hobart has scored at least 10 goals, a feat last accomplished by the Statesmen in 1998.
Attackman Chris Aslanian '19 is leading an assault on the program's Division I era records. He already has the career marks for points (172) and assists (86) and is threatening the season mark for assists (tied for 4th with 26). Hobart is second in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 16.1 goals per game. That pace puts the Statesmen on track to score more than 200 goals in a season for the first time since joining Division I.
Pedicine's domination at the X hasn't been limited to the Siena game. He's ahead of his own season record for winning percentage with a .672 success rate this year. Pedicine has a ridiculous 110 ground balls, five shy of Eric Curry's 23-year-old season record and more than any two players in the NEC combined.
WILLIAM SMITH LACROSSE (6-2, 4-0)
Near the midpoint of the season, the Herons are riding a six-game winning streak and are ranked 17th in the nation with an unblemished Liberty League record. William Smith leads the conference and ranks 36th in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just eight goals per game. The stingy Herons are led by 2018 All-American Mekayla Montgomery and her team-highs in caused turnovers (20), draws (41) and ground balls (27).
William Smith's balanced attack features nine players with 10 or more points. Ellie Burns '21 leads the team with 25 goals and 29 points. Rachel Slagle '20, Sadie Mapstone '21 and Payton McMahon '22 share the team lead with seven assists apiece.
The Herons still have the bulk of their conference schedule ahead of them, including showdowns with ranked teams in No. 19 Ithaca and No. 24 Skidmore.
WILLIAM SMITH SOCCER (17-3-1, 8-1-0)
The Herons captured their 12th consecutive Liberty League regular season and tournament championships, beating RIT 1-0 in the championship match. William Smith made another deep run in the NCAA Championship, reaching the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over No. 14 Amherst. The Herons played No. 5 Williams to a 1-1 draw. With a trip to the semifinals on the line, the Ephs advanced 2-1 in penalty kicks.
Midfielder Megan Barwick '19 earned second team All-America honors from United Soccer Coaches and was also elected a second team Google Cloud Academic All-American. Along with third team Academic All-American Veronica Romines '19, Barwick raised the number of Heron soccer players named Academic All-Americans to 17, more than double any other team at HWS.
HOBART TENNIS (1-1)
The fall tennis season was highlighted by the performances of Alan Dubrovsky '20 and Walker Anderson '21. The pair combined to win the ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Championship and Dubrovsky topped the field in the singles championship. The fifth seeded doubles team, Dubrovsky and Anderson defeated the No. 4 seed from Stevens 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. They are the first Hobart duo to win the regional title. In the singles draw, Dubrovsky reached the title match as the No. 3 seed and faced RPI's Sebastien Castillo-Sanchez, the No. 2 seed. Dubrovsky captured the championship 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-4. He is the first Statesman to win the singles title since Hall of Famer Adam Schapiro '96.
Winning the regional titles earned Dubrovsky and Anderson a trip to Rome, Ga., for the ITA Cup, where Dubrovsky finished fourth and the tandem placed eighth. Both Statesmen earned All-America honors for advancing to the ITA Cup.