LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women’s Soccer senior goalkeeper Taylor Dorado has been named one of just 30 Division I candidates nationally for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award in collegiate women’s soccer. The Guilderland, New York standout is one of just two MAAC candidates along with Monmouth’s Jess Johnson.

 

Dorado is Siena College’s 21^st Senior CLASS Award candidate, with all honorees having come since 2010. She is the third member of the women’s soccer program to receive consideration, joining Michele Tremblay (2017) and Anna Grant (2014).

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.

Dorado has excelled in each of the four criteria outlined in the Senior CLASS Award throughout her time as a Siena College student athlete.

In the community, Dorado has served as a member of Siena College’s Center for Academic Engagement (ACE), and was a fellow for the program last year where she set up numerous volunteer opportunities for the teams in which she was in charge. She has also been an active participant in numerous Siena Athletics “Saints in the Community” initiatives throughout her four years, which have included joining her teammates in cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany, and organizing and running the women's soccer team’s outreach with the Girl Scouts. Additionally, Dorado serves as an assistant coach for the Latham Circle Soccer Club.

In the classroom, Dorado entered the fall semester sporting a 3.32 cumulative GPA while majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish. She twice has been named to the Siena College Dean’s List, and is an inductee into Pi Gamma Mu, the oldest and preeminent interdisciplinary social science honor society. Last fall, Dorado was named a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-East Region First Team selection. She has twice been named to the MAAC Academic Honor Roll, and last fall was selected to the MAAC All-Academic Team.

Head coach Steve Karbowski had the following to say about Dorado’s character and leadership qualities: "Taylor has been a leader for the soccer program both on and off the field. She has always been a talented goalkeeper, which led to her starting as a freshman. But her leadership and confidence have developed throughout her career. She provides a strong voice, competitive mentality, and provides the team with confidence to excel. Off the field, Taylor has always been involved with coaching and working with younger players as part of the Siena Soccer camps and various club soccer programs in the area. One of Taylor's best qualities is her willingness to help. She never declines an opportunity to help out at a clinic, work a camp, or to help organize a team activity. Taylor's always in the mindset to help out and give back which shows her leadership in the community."

In the area of competition, Dorado will go down as one of the top goalkeepers in both Siena and MAAC history. Siena’s all-time career leader with 21 shutouts, she also currently ranks second all-time in program history in wins (31), third in saves (310), and fifth in goals against average (1.12). Dorado was named the 2018 MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year and a First Team All-MAAC selection last season after tying her own program single-season record with four MAAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. She set a Siena single-season record last season with nine shutouts which ranked second in the MAAC and 29^th nationally. Dorado also led the MAAC and stood 13^th nationally with 108 saves last fall, and set a new program single-season record with a shutout streak of 5:13:27 highlighted by four consecutive clean sheets. She was previously named a Second Team All-MAAC selection following both her freshman and sophomore seasons, and was an All-MAAC Tournament Team selection in 2017.

The list of 30 Division I Senior CLASS Award candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, with each of those names being placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches, and fans, who will select one candidate as the winner. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2019 NCAA Women’s College Cup in December.

Dorado and the Saints return to action Wednesday with a 7 p.m. kickoff at crosstown rival UAlbany.

About the Award
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.