The No. 7 William Smith Herons used a balanced offense and a suffocating defensive effort to roll past the Ithaca Bombers, 18-5, in a Liberty League matchup at Higgins Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Ten different players scored for William Smith (11-1, 7-0), which clinched a spot in the Liberty League tournament. Katie Grottenthaler led the way with four goals and five draw controls, while Delaney Cassidy added three goals and two caused turnovers. Taryn Luzi, Mia Falco and Finley Crosby also had multi-goal games, and Grace Rund dominated the draw circle with 13 controls.
After falling behind early, the Herons responded with a 15-2 run to take control. They led 5-2 after the first quarter and 10-3 at halftime before pulling away with five unanswered goals in the third.
William Smith dominated the stat sheet, outshooting Ithaca 36-13 and winning 21-of-24 draws. The Herons also held a 17-12 edge in ground balls and went 22-for-24 on clears.
Defensively, William Smith limited Ithaca (8-4, 5-3) to a season-low five goals. Janey Sypeck led the effort with four caused turnovers and five ground balls, while Casey Fiore played all 60 minutes in net.
William Smith returns to action Saturday, April 10, against Bard at 1 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.