The nationally-ranked William Smith College field hockey team bounced back with a 3-1 win over SUNY Geneseo on a hot and humid night on McCooey Field. The Herons move to 2-1 on the season while the Knights suffer their first loss of the season and fall to 2-1.
William Smith outshot Geneseo 11-6 and added an 8-3 edge in shots on goal. Junior Rebecca Mantione led the Herons with three points on one goal and one assist while firing off a team-leading three shots. William Smith also had the edge in penalty corners with four compared to Geneseo’s two.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- William Smith opened the scoring 2:56 into the game after being awarded a penalty corner. After the ball was put in play, Mantione fired off a shot which was saved by the Knights goalie. Fifth-year senior Lauren Jackson was there to grab the rebound and give the Herons a 1-0 lead. Jackson was credited with her second goal of the season.
- The Herons would double their lead at the 20:50 mark after being awarded another penalty corner. Graduate student Kate Barilla received the ball at the top of the arc and fired off a shot that was deflected by senior Alaura Enright. Enright’s deflection fell perfectly for senior Libby Maxwell who originally inserted the ball. Maxwell finished off the play, giving the Herons a 2-0 lead.
- 9:26 into the second half, Geneseo would grab one back. After a turnover by the William Smith defense the ball landed perfectly on Grace Olczak’s stick. Olczak slotted a low shot past a rushing McCormick to cut the deficit to one.
- The fourth quarter started with back-and-forth momentum shifts as both teams were pushing for a crucial goal. With just under three minutes remaining William Smith would find exactly what they were looking for. Mantione found possession of the ball dribbling at the Knights back line. After slicing through three defenders, Mantione fired a shot past Quinlan to give the Herons a 3-1 lead.
- Senior Kristen McCormick played all 60 minutes in goal for William Smith, posting two saves on the night. McCormick moves to 2-1 on the season for the Herons.
COACHES CORNER:
“It was great to see this group come out strong from the start and to get a quick lead within the first three minutes of play,” said Head Coach Sophie Riskie ’07. “I’m proud of the team for staying composed and withstanding some strong second-half pressure by Geneseo, who played very tough defense in the midfield.”
UP NEXT:
The Herons will be back in action this weekend when they host the annual William Smith Classic Sept. 10-11. William Smith will welcome Kean University to McCooey Field on Saturday, at 10:30 a.m., followed by a showdown against Lebanon Valley College on Sunday, at 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].