The fourth-ranked William Smith College soccer team scored three goals in the second half as it cruised to a 3-0 victory over 20th-ranked Clarkson in a Liberty League contest on Cozzens Field this afternoon. With their second consecutive victory, the Herons are now 6-0-3 overall with a 2-0-2 mark in conference play.
Julia DiMenna, Moira van der Putt and Emma Faso scored for William Smith. Kirsten Nelson made a career-high seven saves as she notched her second consecutive shutout.
Molly DiCaprio played all 90 minutes in goal for Clarkson (6-2-2-, 1-2-0). She made 11 saves. The Golden Knights also had a pair of defenders clear William Smith shots off the goal line.
KEY STATS
The Herons outshot Clarkson 25-15, including an 18-4 margin in the second half.
- William Smith also had a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
- The Herons are now 36-0-0 all-time against Clarkson.
FIRST HALF
- Following the opening whistle, the Golden Knights forced a turnover and generated two quick scoring chances. Thirty-three seconds into the game, Lillian Gillett fired a shot on goal that Nelson stopped. Gillett collected her own rebound and had a second shot stopped by Nelson.
- Ruth Hotaling had the Herons’ first shot of the game in the sixth minute. Her shot was turned aside by a diving DiCaprio.
- After Hotaling’s attempt, Clarkson controlled a majority of the play in the early stages of the first half, holding an 11-7 edge in shots in the opening 45 minutes but were unable to solve Nelson.
- Van der Putt had the best chance in the opening half, but her shot hit the left goal post, and William Smith could not convert on the rebound attempt.
SECOND HALF
- The halftime break proved to be what William Smith needed as they flipped the game on its head in the second half, dominating possession and limiting Clarkson’s offensive rushes.
- In the 48th minute, DiMenna opened the scoring with her team-leading fifth goal of the season. She carried the ball into the 18-yard box, avoided the charging Clarkson goalie and fired a shot into the empty net.
- In the 58th minute, Marissa Mastracco had a shot stopped by a Golden Knight defender.
- DiCaprio made a spectacular save with her feet on a Mastracco shot in the 64th minute.
- Van der Putt extended William Smith’s lead to 2-0 with her first goal of the season. In the 73rd minute, she collected her own rebound and chipped a shot past DiCaprio.
- In the 81st minute, Rylee Marin nearly broke up the shutout bid, but Nelson punched her shot just over the crossbar.
- Faso sealed the game with her third goal of the season in the 89th minute. She picked up a rebound and slipped a shot over the goal line. Ava Ruppersberger was credited with an assist on the goal after her initial shot was turned aside by DiCaprio.
COACH’S CORNER
“We couldn’t be more proud of our team today,” Head Coach Aliceann Wilber said. “We have been under some duress with results and injuries and our women met the challenge today against a very strong Clarkson team. Some games you can play to win and some games you have to fight to win. Today we fought for the win.”
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action next Saturday, Oct. 7, when it travels to Poughkeepsie, New York, to take on Vassar College. The Liberty League contest is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].