Kelly Doton Recognized By Hometown Reporter
11/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 24, 2003
By ACE KELLEY Special to The Recorder
It seems as though the more awards Kelly Doton receives, the more she shies away from talking about them. The Greenfield native and senior for the two-time National Champion Wake Forest University field hockey team would rather con centrate on team accomplishments first and foremost.
What Doton hates to admit, how ever, is that as she improved, so did her team.
Doton's outstanding performance at the this year's Final Four, as well as the whole season, did not go unnoticed. Monday she was named by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as a First Team All America selection and Player of the Year by womensfield hockey.com.
"I really don't care about the All- American selection," Doton said. "I feel so honored to be a part of such a select group of individuals, but my main focus was the national champi onship."
And the Player of the Year honor? "It's a great honor and I appreci ate all those that selected me, but they mean little compared to the national championship trophy." As with all great players and leaders, Doton can relish in the fact that she has two national title tro phies to her credit along with an extensive list of personal awards. And she doesn't have to blow her own horn, either. The numbers speak for them selves.
Anyone associated with Wake Forest field hockey over the past four years knows Doton was a pri mary cog in a winning machine. Doton didn't have much pressure her first two years because the Demon Deacons also had All Americans Jenny Everett, Jemima Cameron and Heather Aughinbaugh ahead of her. Despite the successful teammates, however, Doton still managed to shine, completing her first year with a selection to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. She started in all 22 games, fin ished third on the team in points (31) while leading the team in post season goals with five.
That was just the beginning. In her four years, Wake posted a 76-12 mark, won the two national titles (Wake is the first team to win back- to-back crowns since North Carolina in 1995-97), two Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season and tour nament crowns (2002-03), made four Final Four appearances, three ACC championship appearances and are 41-1 in its last 42 games.
"Kelly is a gifted athlete and will go down in my coaching career as one of the premiere players to ever play at Wake," Averill added. "She's not only a great athlete but a great person. I love her as both." Doton's other gift to the Deacons was when she helped convince Hatfield native Kelly Dostal to come to Wake.
"Everyone in high school was always trying to create this rivalry between us," Doton explained. "You know, the Greenfield-Smith (Academy) thing. I've really gotten to know her and we're good friends." Dostal's decision to attend Wake has benefited her as well as the team. Besides the two titles, Dostal tied for first in the nation with 29 goals this season and tied for ACC lead in goals a year ago.
So while Wake's success in the Doton-era was eye-catching, Doton's personal resume is downright incredible. She was a three-time All American (second team in 2001) and is the only Wake Forest player to make three All America teams. Doton is also a two-time ACC Player of the Year, the first Wake female and fifth athlete at the school to win two awards (2002-03). In addition, she was the 2003 ACC Tournament MVP, was selected to four NCAA All- Tournament Teams and is the only Division I player to be named four straight years. Coincidentally, the only other player to earn four con secutive honors was fello Greenfield native Kristyn Bates in Division II. Doton was named to the past three All-ACC Teams, was a three-time All-South Region selection (2001-03), was a co-captain this year and was awarded the school's Female Athlete of the Year for 2002-03.
She finished the season ranked second on the team in goals (11), assists (18) and points (40). She ranked fourth in the conference in assists per game, fifth in assists and tied for sixth in points. Nationally, she ranked fifth in assists and assists-per-game. She started all 88 games in her career and tallied 44 goals (fourth all-time at Wake), 42 assists (second) and 130 points (sec ond).
"There were so many doubters in western Mass. that said I wouldn't make it at Wake, I wouldn't play and I wouldn't amount to anything," Doton said. "But, the people who knew me realized that I wanted to make Wake the winner that it could be and we accomplished that." Doton is also known nationally as one of the top players to participate in the NCAA Tournament. She ranks fifth all-time in career field hockey tournament points (26), ranks eighth in most points in one game (8, 3 goals and 2 assists in 2002), goals in one tournament (five in 2000), points registered in the first/second rounds of the tourney (8 in 2000) and career tournament goals (10).
While Doton is attending classes, she does have some serious thinking to do. The U.S. National Team - which includes fellow Greenfield native Tara Jelley - is strongly interested in her talents. "I received an e-mail about two weeks ago to come and join their squad," Doton said. "I told Jen (Averill), along with the national coaching squad, that I would not think about the national team until the Wake Forest season is done." Whatever Doton decides, she has already accomplished more than most field hockey players.