Snyder joined the campus in 2017 and has made her presence known competing in soccer, ice hockey and timber sports for the Bobcats. In 2020, a season like no other, she is a senior and is expected to graduate from PSC with a degree in Forestry.

Since joining the women’s soccer team, Snyder has produced an impressive academic and athletic resume, earning Yankee Small College Conference All-Conference honors after being ranked top 10 in the conference in total overall points with 17 points for the 2018 season. Her success continued in 2019, when she was also awarded U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association All-American honors for women’s soccer, after ranking seventh among point leaders across all participating teams. The two-time captain also boasted an impressive 3.87 GPA, earning her Dean’s List while being a three-sport athlete and mom of an energetic and beloved 4-year-old, Violet.

“Kate was a speed player and a finisher,” soccer coach Bailey Waterbury said of her star striker. “She made a difference every time she stepped on the field. One of my favorite qualities of Kate’s is her competitiveness and unmatchable drive. It was rare she left a game without netting a goal. She is the type of player every coach wants: talented, kind and hard working. It is with a lot of emotion that we say goodbye to Kate Snyder.”

In addition to the pitch, Snyder has also been a fixture on the ice for Paul Smith’s College. She has been a stalwart in net, serving as goalie for the original co-ed club in 2018-19, followed by the women’s varsity team in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Kate Snyder, left, poses with soccer coach Bailey Waterbury after winning the Heart Award for the 2018 Paul Smith’s College women’s soccer team. (Provided photo — Andy Johnstone, Paul Smith’s College)

In the co-ed club hockey’s inaugural year, she received the Most Valuable Player award. She contributed a lead record 60 saves in one game in her first season between the pipes. The 2019-20 season saw more of the same as she became the backbone of the hockey team and started the majority of games in net for the Lady Bobcats. She went 4-4 as a starter, racking up 383 minutes in net, 3.45 goals against average, and an impressive .917 save percentage.

“Kate is a machine, both on and off the ice,” hockey coach Casey Gerrish said. “On top of being a high-caliber goalie, she’s also a three-sport athlete, a terrific student, and an amazing mother. I really don’t know how she does it, but it’s impressive to witness. She’s going to be very hard to replace.”

On top of her accomplishments on the field and ice, Snyder made an impact in the arena for Bobcats’ timber sports team.

“As a result of COVID, close contact sports at PSC have been limited. One exception is the Woodsmen’s Team, where participants are able to spread out and practice wood chopping, sawing and ax throwing across our 12,000-acre campus,” head coach and Forestry department chair Brett Mcleod said. “This gave Kate Snyder the opportunity to transition from hockey and soccer to the woodsmen’s team. Her natural athleticism translated well to timber sports, where she’s excelled as a champion chopper in the women’s division. Kate is a strong favorite to win the women’s Stihl Timber Sports Collegiate title this spring.”

——

Kate Snyder dribbles the ball on the soccer pitch. (Provided photo — Pat Hendrick for Paul Smith’s College)

(Correction: An earlier version of this article had the wrong name for Snyder’s 4-year-old daughter. Her name is Violet.)

Kate Snyder (Provided photo — Bailey Waterbury)