by Bea Peterson
At a ceremony in the cafeteria on Friday, February 15, Hoosick Falls Central School Jr./Sr. High Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Brett Lamy proudly announced that Senior Alice Hayden was signing a letter of intent to play soccer at the College of St. Rose in the fall. “This is a well deserved and significant milestone in her life, and we wish her well as she moves on to a higher education and higher level of competition,” he said. “St. Rose is a quality institution with a quality team,” he added.
Wearing a College of St. Rose T-shirt, and with her parents Kim and John Hayden and her high school soccer coach Tom Husser sitting next to her, Alice signed the letter. Standing and looking out to the more than 50 friends, teammates, family, several people from her years at St. Mary’s Academy and HFCS officials and Board members, she thanked her family, her coaches and her teachers for their support over the years. HFCS Superintendent Ken Facin said that with two high school State Soccer Championships to her record it says a lot about our school. “This is a great opportunity for you, and I’m sure we will see you in the news in the future,” he said.
Hayden, a scholar-athlete, has been an integral part of the HFCS Soccer team for years. She helped the team win the 2011 and 2012 State Championships, Regional Championships, Class C Championships and Section II Championships. In 2011 she was selected New York State Player of the Year. “She is the total package,” said Coach Husser. “She has worked hard. She’s a great person, a great player, and she’s great academically – the total package.”
The College of St. Rose women’s soccer team, under the direction of Head Coach Laurie Darling Gutheil, has played in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Tournament 10 times in the last 11 years. In 2012 the team made its fifth straight trip the NCAA Tournament National Semi-finals. Their 2012 season had them at 20-3-2. In 2011 the team brought home its first ever National Championship.