Senior Ameya Moncrieffe scored twice, including the first collegiate goal of her career, as William Smith opened its season with a 4-0 victory over Emmanuel on Tuesday afternoon at Cozzens Field.
The Herons controlled the match from the outset, finishing with a 30-5 advantage in shots and a 9-4 edge in corner kicks. The victory also extended William Smith’s streak to 10 consecutive wins in season openers.
Kristin Middaugh nearly put the Herons on the board in the 20th minute when her shot from the top of the penalty area was tipped over the crossbar by Emmanuel goalkeeper Tegan Robie. Seven minutes later, Robie made another diving stop to deny Aleena Solano, who transferred to William Smith from Emmanuel last spring.
William Smith finally broke through in the 39th minute. Moncrieffe followed her own rebound in the six-yard box and found the back of the net to give the Herons a halftime lead.
William Smith added to its advantage early in the second half when Rachel Lee curled a free kick from 24 yards around the Emmanuel wall and into the lower-left corner in the 50th minute.
Middaugh made it 3-0 in the 68th minute, collecting a loose ball near the penalty spot and finishing into the left side of the goal. Grace Sudbay was credited with the assist.
Moncrieffe completed the scoring three minutes later, running onto a looping pass from Ella Wirth before placing her shot into the lower-left corner.
Sevilla Anderson and Liz Feeney combined for one save to preserve the shutout, while Robie finished with 14 saves for Emmanuel.
“It was great to see some players have some firsts out there, and that was super fun,” head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie said.
William Smith returns to action Friday, September 4, at seventh-ranked Washington and Lee in Lexington, Virginia. The match is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.