William Smith, ranked 11th nationally, will host Ithaca in a Liberty League women's soccer semifinal Friday, with a place in Sunday's championship game at stake. The match starts at 1:30 p.m. at Cozzens Field in Geneva.
The top-seeded Herons are 13-3 overall after finishing conference play 9-0 and earning a first-round bye, according to HWS Athletics. Fourth-seeded Ithaca enters the Nov. 6 semifinal at 9-4-4 after beating fifth-seeded RIT 1-0 on Tuesday.
Fans can follow the match through HWS All-Access and live statistics. Friday will be the teams' 42nd meeting, with William Smith holding a 26-9-6 advantage overall and a 15-5-2 edge in Geneva.
Metzler leads Herons into rematch
Junior Grace Metzler leads William Smith with 16 points on six goals and four assists, ranking fourth in the Liberty League. She has recorded at least one point in eight consecutive games.
Metzler scored twice when the Herons beat Ithaca 3-1 on the road during the regular season. Antonia Goerke played all 90 minutes in goal that day and made five saves.
Junior Kristin Middaugh also has six goals, along with one assist for 13 points. First-year player Grace Sudbay has contributed four goals and two assists for 10 points.
Goerke has handled most of William Smith's goalkeeping minutes. She has a 0.66 goals-against average, an .859 save percentage and five shutouts.
Ithaca seeks a different outcome
Jayne Bogle and Mia Medearis share Ithaca's scoring lead with 11 points each. Medearis has a team-high four goals, while Bogle leads the Bombers with five assists.
Goalkeeper Katrina Varnum has played most of Ithaca's minutes in net, compiling a 9-4-4 record with a 0.77 goals-against average and an .829 save percentage.
Second-seeded Vassar hosts third-seeded Union in Friday's other semifinal at 11 a.m. If William Smith advances, the championship will be played in Geneva on Sunday, Nov. 8; an Ithaca victory would send the final to either Vassar or Union.
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