William Smith College first-year forward Julianna Gong was named the United College Hockey Conference’s Rookie of the Year in a vote by the conference’s coaches. This is the second straight year that a Heron has been voted the conference’s top rookie.
In addition, Gong was named to the conference’s all-rookie team and garnered all-league honorable mention. Senior forward Gina Scibetta was voted to the first team while junior defender Emily Martino received honorable mention honors for the second straight year.
The trio led William Smith to an 18-8-0 overall record with a 13-3-0 record in UCHC play. The Herons’ 18 wins this season match the program record for wins in a season. William Smith is the North Division’s No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and knocked off Nazareth 3-1 in the quarterfinals. William Smith will be back on the ice Saturday, March 7, when it heads to Pine Valley, N.Y., for the semifinals. The Herons will take on Manhattanville, the South Division top’s seed, at 7 p.m.
Gong put together a strong inaugural season, breaking William Smith’s rookie records for assists and points. Through 26 games, she is second on the team with 15 goals and 34 points. Her 19 assists are third on the team. Last year’s UCHC Rookie of the Year Abbey Luth previously held the records with 13 assists and 34 points. Gong flipped the switch in the second half of the season, recording points in 12 of William Smith’s 15 games in 2020. Twenty-nine of her 34 points have come since Jan. 1. Gong has 11 multi-point games and matched the Herons’ single-game record for points (6) and goals (4) in an 8-2 win over Neumann on Jan. 31. She scored twice in William Smith’s 3-1 win over Nazareth in the opening round of the UCHC tournament. Gong is second in the nation in points per game by a first-year (1.31) and total points by a first-year. She was named the UCHC’s North Division Rookie of the Week twice.
In 16 UCHC games, Gong has 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists. The next closest first-year in the conference has 19 points on six goals and 13 assists. Her 1.62 points per game in UCHC play ranks fourth in the conference.
Scibetta jumps up to the first team after earning second team honors in 2018-19. She leads the team and is tied for second in the conference with 40 points on 16 goals and 24 assists. Scibetta’s 40 points match her William Smith single-season record set last year and her 24 assists are a new single-season record. She notched a career-high four points on three separate occasions this season. Scibetta pocketed a career-high four assists in a victory over Alvernia on Jan. 18. Scibetta set up the game-winning goal against Nazareth in the UCHC tournament. Scibetta was tabbed the UCHC North Division’s Player of the Week twice. She is tied for fifth in the nation in points per game (1.54). She has notched at least a point in 13 of William Smith’s last 14 games.
William Smith’s first All-American, Scibetta has put her name all over the school’s record book. She has played in a record 105 games, recording a program best 114 points on 52 goals and 62 assists. With four points against Neumann on Jan. 31, she became William Smith’s first 100-point scorer.
A captain, Martino has played in all 26 games for William Smith this season. She has 18 points on five goals and 13 assists. Martino notched a career-high three points in an 8-0 win over King’s on Nov. 9. She added two points in wins over Alvernia, Chatham and Wilkes. On the defensive end of the ice, Martino has blocked 35 shots, second on the team.
In 80 career games, Martino has recorded 54 points on 16 goals and 38 assists. She is sixth on William Smith’s all-time list in assists, seventh in points and ninth in goals.
