The William Smith College field hockey team defeated Ithaca 1-0 in a crucial Liberty League matchup on McCooey Field this afternoon. The Herons move to 8-5 on the season and 3-1 in conference play, while the Bombers fall to 10-4 and suffer their first conference loss of the season, falling to 3-1.
William Smith outshot Ithaca 11-7 and held a 6-2 advantage in shots. The Herons also held a 7-5 edge in penalty corners with all seven of William Smith’s coming in the first half.
Junior Hannah Huston tallied the lone goal of the game, capitalizing on her only chance of the game. This is the second straight game Huston has been credited with the game-winning goal. She now sits at nine points on three goals and three assists this season.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- William Smith came out strong with high defensive pressure, forcing multiple turnovers for Ithaca. The Herons outshot the Bombers 7-1 in the opening quarter to grab the momentum of the game.
- 6:45 into the contest, William Smith was awarded a penalty stroke after a scrum in front of the net. Senior Lauren Jackson’s attempt was put just wide to keep the score tied at 0-0.
- William Smith fired off two more shots in the second quarter to keep the edge in shots at 9-1 heading into the half.
- Just 2:25 seconds into the second half the Herons would break the deadlock. Senior Sofia Pattillo fired off a shot that the Bomber goalie made a diving save on. The rebound fell perfectly to the stick of Huston who slotted the ball into the back of the cage to give the Herons a 1-0 lead.
- Ithaca immediately responded with pressure of their own, firing off six shots compared to William Smith’s one in the remainder of the contest.
- The two teams battled hard in the midfield with possession switching back-and-forth for the remainder of the game, but the Herons strong defensive efforts outlasted a pressuring Bomber attack to seal the crucial conference victory for William Smith.
- Senior Brittany Foster played all 60 minutes in goal for the Herons, registering two saves. Foster moves to 2-2 and earned her second shutout of the season.
COACHES CORNER:
“We played very tough mentally and physically tonight and I’m really proud of the Herons!” said Head Coach Sophie Riskie ’07. “Ithaca put on a lot of pressure in the second half and our team played composed defensively. We will fine-tune a few things tomorrow as we head to Union on Sunday.”
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action Sunday, Oct. 15, when it heads to Schenectady, New York, to take on Union College. The conference matchup between the Herons and the Garnet Chargers is set for 2 p.m. on Frank Bailey Field.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].