William Smith beats Cortland 2-1 to reach NCAA soccer second round

Grace Metzler and Izzy Thors scored early in each half as No. 15 William Smith defeated SUNY Cortland 2-1 Saturday at Cozzens Field in Geneva to advance to the second round of the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament.

The Herons improved to 15-4-0 and will host No. 8 Williams at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, according to HWS Athletics. Williams advanced with a 4-0 victory over Penn State Harrisburg.

Early goals give Herons a two-goal cushion

Metzler opened the scoring 2:19 into the match, heading Kristin Middaugh’s cross from the left side inside the far post. The junior forward’s eighth goal of the season gave William Smith an advantage it maintained throughout the afternoon.

The Herons held a 10-3 advantage in first-half shots, but Cortland goalkeeper Olivia Rouse made six saves before halftime to keep the Red Dragons within one goal.

Thors extended the lead just 2:09 after the break. The senior received a long pass from Miranda DeMura in the left corner and curled a shot around Rouse for her first goal of the season.

William Smith continued testing Rouse with four more shots on target during the opening 20 minutes of the second half, but she prevented another goal.

Goerke protects lead after Cortland scores

Piper Klammer brought Cortland within 2-1 at 75:03, entering the penalty area and scoring on the Red Dragons’ first shot on goal. It was her fourth goal of the season.

Cortland followed with three more shots on target over the next 10 minutes. Senior goalkeeper Antonia Goerke stopped all three, finishing with three saves and her 14th victory of the season.

William Smith finished with a 17-7 advantage in shots, including 12-4 on target, and led 6-2 in corner kicks. Rouse recorded a season-high 10 saves as Cortland finished its season 13-4-3.

Williams awaits Sunday in Geneva

Williams enters Sunday’s match at Cozzens Field with a 15-2-1 record. It will be the programs’ seventh meeting, with William Smith holding a 4-0-2 series record.

Five of their previous six meetings came in the NCAA tournament. Their two most recent matchups, in 2015 and 2018, ended in draws, with Williams advancing on penalty kicks both times.

Staff Report

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