The William Smith College soccer team will host the 2016 William Smith Invitational Sept. 3-4 on Cozzens Field. The Herons will welcome No. 20 Puget Sound, No. 24 Oneonta and Denison, which is receiving votes, to Geneva for the weekend.
 
"We've worked really hard to put together a weekend, where besides fantastic competition, the visiting teams will have the opportunity to gain a sense of who we are at William Smith College and of the location in which we reside," said Head Coach Aliceann Wilber. "We have created a tournament theme, 'We Can, We Will.' The development of confident, strong and empowered women is fundamental to the mission of William Smith College and fits within our theme."
 
Teams will tour the Women's National Hall of Fame and the Women's Rights Park in Seneca Falls. To continue the theme of women leading the way and being role models, girls' youth soccer teams will walk out with each team during the pregame introductions. In addition, the Heron junior varsity team will lead two soccer clinics over the weekend.
 
The weekend will also feature a banquet dinner for all of the teams. Vice President of BonaDent Dental Laboratories Daniele Bonafiglia Wirth will be the keynote speaker.
 
"Daniele is a fantastic embodiment of 'We Can. We Will.' She's a mother, an athlete and a professional who rose through the ranks in a very successful company proving her competencies every step of the way," said Wilber. "She has actively committed herself to work with girls in youth sports in her home community of Seneca Falls, thus paying forward hard-earned privileges won by women before her."


Student-athletes from each team will also speak about their programs and goals for the year ahead.
 
The Herons open 2016 at Elmira on Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. William Smith is ranked No. 4 in the nation in the NSCAA's preseason poll. The Herons return four of their top five scorers from last season, graduating just three from the 2015 roster.