GENEVA, N.Y.—The fifth-ranked William Smith College soccer team scored a goal in each half as it defeated 15th-ranked Carnegie Mellon in its home opener this afternoon. It was the Herons’ second straight win to start the season.
Julia Berg and Seneca Blakely-Armitage scored for the Herons. Kirsten Nelson made three saves in just over 70 minutes of work and Amanda Kesler made one save in the final 20 minutes of action. Oliva Brand made a pair of saves in goal for the Tartans.
FIRST HALF:
- Carnegie Mellon had the game’s first opportunity off the foot of Jenna Hallbeck, but Nelson pounced on the loose ball.
- Berg opened the scoring in the 27th minute, heading home a corner kick from her sister Katrine Berg.
- Nelson made another stop in the 35th minute, diving to her left to rob a Catherine MacNichol shot.
SECOND HALF:
- Carnegie Mellon turned up the pressure in the second 45 minutes, outshooting William Smith 11-5.
- In the 56th minute, Breanna Valentovish had a golden scoring chance from the top of the 18-yard box that beat Nelson, but Ireland Krawczyk swept the shot off the goal line.
- MacNichol had another golden scoring chance in the 68th minute, but Nelson made a sprawling save to keep Carnegie Mellon off of the scoreboard.
- In the 60th minute, Blakely-Armitage had a shot blocked by a Tartan defender.
- Blakely-Armitage gave William Smith a 2-0 lead in the 69th minute, chipping home a shot from six yards out. It was her team-leading second goal of the year.
- Kesler made a stop on an Alana Frederick shot in the 72nd minute, registering her first save of the year.
KEY STATS:
- The Tartans ended the contest with a 15-11 advantage in shots.
- William Smith held a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks.
COACH’S CORNER:
“We spoke before the game that our number one priority was to establish our competitive mentality,” Head Coach Aliceann Wilber said. “With this being our first home game, we wanted to decide who we would be on the field. I think we did a good job of establishing that today. We rode the highs and the lows of the game and established what our personality will be. The entire coaching staff is really happy with today’s battle. Carnegie Mellon is a good team that will have a strong season. It was a great home opener, and we are proud of the way our kids managed it. We expect bigger things from them in the future.”
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 10, when they welcome Messiah to Cozzens Field. The Falcons were ranked 17th in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]