William Smith soccer used an early goal from Grace Metzler and another strong defensive performance to defeat Rochester Institute of Technology 1-0 Wednesday afternoon on Cozzens Field, extending its winning streak to four games.
The Herons improved to 8-3-0 overall and 4-0-0 in Liberty League play with the victory, while RIT dropped to 4-4-2 overall and 2-2-0 in conference action.
Metzler broke the scoreless deadlock in the 18th minute with her third goal of the season. She collected a loose ball inside the penalty area and finished past RIT goalkeeper Ashton Anderson. Grace Sudbay earned the assist after her initial attempt was saved before the rebound fell to Metzler.
William Smith had several opportunities to add to its advantage. Metzler nearly scored again in the 22nd minute, while Aleena Solano also had a header stopped by Anderson. Anderson finished with seven saves to keep RIT within one.
The Tigers created plenty of pressure, particularly through corner kicks, holding a 9-2 advantage in that category. William Smith, however, limited RIT to six shots on target despite the Tigers finishing with a 12-15 deficit in total shots.
Antonia Goerke came through whenever RIT threatened, making six saves to record her shutout. Her biggest test came late, when Isabel Guerrero put a shot on goal in the 89th minute, but Goerke turned it aside to preserve the lead.
The victory also ended William Smith’s two-game losing streak against RIT.
The Herons will return to Cozzens Field Saturday, October 10, when they host Skidmore in a Liberty League matchup at 3 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
