JOHNSTOWN – The Johnstown field hockey team had two players recently named to the all-state team.
Johnstown seniors Ashley Dona and Emma Heroth both were named to the Class B all-state team.
Dona, a center forward, finished with 39 goals and eight assists this season. Her 39-goal effort broke the Johnstown record for goals in a season, eclipsing the previous mark of 38 set by Kayla May, who is an assistant coach at Siena College.
Dona also set the Johnstown mark for career goals with 68 goals, surpassing May’s total of 65. Dona, who scored 29 goals as a junior, played her junior and senior seasons for Johnstown after transferring from Gloversville.
“Plain and simple, Ashley is a pure finisher. Once inside the circle, her instincts for finding the back of the cage are second to none,” Johnstown coach Tracy Ringer said in a news release. “Her dedication to the sport of field hockey is evident with her year-round participation in club field hockey with the ADK team and the USA Futures program. She was a delight to coach for two seasons – we wish we had more time with her.”
Heroth, a left forward and team captain, was a three-year varsity player for the Lady Bills. Heroth finished her senior season with 15 goals and 12 assists.
“The ease in which Emma works the ball down the left side of the field is astounding,” Ringer said in the release. “Normally a team’s weak side, Emma’s ball carrying, which at times looked like she was performing magic, allowed us to have a balanced attack from both the left and the right. She is a pure hustler with skill to boot – a combination that is hard to find. Emma’s offensive contribution and sense of humor will be hard to replace next year.”
Johnstown finished the season with a 17-2 overall record, reaching the Section II Class B finals for the fifth straight year before losing to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in the championship game.
The Lady Bills also went 12-0 in Foothills Council play to earn their first outright league title since the mid-1990s.
