Hall of Fame
Sheila Doyle Lawrence ’96 – Class of 2006
The Finishing Touch…
She was the total package. She had talent, agility, speed, a strong sense of the field and the situation. But one attribute made her a truly outstanding soccer player and Le Moyne’s first All-American in the sport. She knew how to finish.
The ability to dominate was evident in her stellar, 103-goal career at Mercy High School, where she also played basketball, softball and ran track. Surrounded by a cast of strong teammates at Le Moyne, she became the focal point of squads that were to achieve top-ten national ranking. From her first time on the field in green and gold, the Dolphins realized they could win with a simple strategy: when a match hung in the balance they would get her the ball.
The success of that strategy is clear in both individual and team statistics. She graduated holding Le Moyne career records for goals (71), assists (35) and points (177). All four of her seasons on the Heights are among Le Moyne’s ten most productive; and as team captain in her senior year she set the all-time record of 53 points in a season. As a sophomore she helped lead Le Moyne to the best season in the college’s history as the Dolphins finished 12-4-1.
Her ability to finish a play – unleashing a bolt of lightning toward the net or drawing the defense and then deftly passing to an open teammate – was derived from her personality as much as her athletic skill. She played for the love of the sport. She thrived in pressure situations because she did not get caught up in the moment and her cool demeanor infected the entire team. In the simplest terms, she simply had fun playing soccer and she made the game fun for those who played with her.
That same spirit extended off the field as well. She is remembered as a teammate who enlivened the team bus, the friend who could brighten a dark moment. And today it is evident in her career as a special education reading teacher.
By providing the finishing touch for the school’s most successful women’s soccer team and by reminding us that athletic competition is meant to be fun,
Sheila Doyle Lawrence ’96 has earned a place in the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
October 20, 2006
