Cornell University Athletics

Coach Graap on Smith
"Ashleigh will be another key player on the defense. She is an excellent communicator and is one of our team’s top competitors. Ashleigh also provides consistent effort regardless of the score and can be counted on to be productive whenever she is on the field."

As a senior
Serving as team tri-captain, Smith played in all 15 games with 14 starts in the back, playing a key role as a leader of the defense. Smith recorded 16 ground balls, 16 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers on the season and scored a goal against Notre Dame for her only point of the year. She notched three ground balls and won three draws in a victory over Columbia and added two ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers vs. Princeton.

As a junior
After missing the 2005 season, Smith came back strong and claimed a spot on the All-Ivy honorable mention squad. She started all 16 games, leading the team in caused turnovers (17) and ranking among the team in ground balls (26) and draw controls (14). She also scored two goals on just three shots. She was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after causing three turnovers and adding four ground balls, both team-highs, while adding a draw control, in a victory over Columbia.

As a sophomore
Smith did not compete.

As a freshman
Smith started 12 of the 13 games she played in as a rookie, ranking among the team’s leaders in ground balls (20) and caused turnovers (11) to go along with eight draw controls. Smith had a goal in the season opener at Notre Dame and assisted on a score against Columbia for her two points. She was outstanding in the back against Harvard, scooping up five ground balls and causing three turnovers, both career highs, in a one-goal win. She finished the season playing some of her best defense, causing nine turnovers in the team’s final five contests.

At Dulaney
Smith was named the athlete of the year at Dulaney HS as a senior. The team’s most valuable player in 2003, Smith also lettered in soccer and cheerleading.

Personal
Ashleigh Marie Smith is the daughter of Chuck and Kathy Smith and has an older sister and a younger brother. She is enrolled in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology.