GENEVA, N.Y.— After nearly 63 minutes of scoreless action, senior Lily Gutch scored to lift the fourth-seeded William Smith field hockey team past fifth-seeded Rochester 1-0 this afternoon in a Liberty League first round matchup on McCooey Field. With the win, the Herons improve to 12-8 on the season and advance to the Liberty League semifinals where they will take on top-seeded Vassar on Friday. The Yellowjackets conclude their season with a 13-7 overall record.
The overtime thriller saw William Smith put on an impressive performance against Rochester. The Herons held a 20-8 advantage in shots against the Yellowjackets, including an 11-4 edge in shots on target. William Smith earned eight penalty corners compared to Rochester's four, while the Yellowjackets made 10 saved compared to the Herons' four.
Gutch tallied the lone goal of the game for the Herons. The game-winner was assisted by graduate student Rebecca Mantione. Sophomores Ana Dios Vidal, Mia Batchelder and Mantione each fired off four shots in the win, landing seven on target. Gutch and sophomore Caroline Kogut added three shots each for William Smith, landing three on target in the win.
First-year Olivia Terranova played 62:51 in goal for the Herons and made four saves in the win. She improves to 9-6 in her rookie season.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- William Smith came out firing in the opening quarter, combining for five shots and earning one penalty corner compared to Rochester's one shot and zero penalty corners.
- The Herons nearly opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Batchelder found herself in front of goal with the ball. She fired off back-to-back shots, but Rochester's Kara Houston stood tall in net and kept William Smith off the board.
- The Yellowjackets best scoring chance of the half came with just over a minute left in the first quarter. Anya Arseneau took advantage of a Heron mistake and sparked a fast break. She fired off a shot but missed wide to keep the score tied at 0-0.
- William Smith continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, firing off seven shots against the Yellowjackets but were matched by a solid performance from Houston to keep the Herons off the board.
- The Herons secured a golden opportunity in the 26th minute after being awarded a penalty stroke from a Rochester foul. Sophomore Hadley Harbert stepped up to take the stroke, but Houston made a clutch diving save to keep the game scoreless heading into halftime.
- The back-and-forth action continued in the second half as the two sides traded the momentum of the game through the third and fourth quarters.
- Rochester nearly got on the board in the 53rd minute after William Smith was down a player due to a yellow card. Erin Foley fired off a shot but was met with a big save from Terranova to force the game to overtime.
- The Yellowjackets got the first opportunity of overtime after being awarded a penalty corner. An Abigal Mateer shot was once again turned away by Terranova, giving William Smith a quick offensive spark.
- Just over a minute later, the Herons would strike to earn their second overtime win of the season over Rochester. Mantione found the ball at her stick and drove endline on her Yellowjacket defender. She slotted a perfect pass to a waiting Gutch who ripped a shot into the back of the goal to give William Smith the win. It was her ninth goal of the season.
COACHES CORNER:
"I'm really proud of the way we battled today," said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "It was a hard-fought game against a strong Rochester team, and our composure in overtime made the difference. We showed resilience, stayed connected, and found a way to finish when it mattered most. It was a great win to advance in the Liberty League Tournament."
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action Friday, Nov. 7, when it travels to Poughkeepsie, New York, to take on top-seeded Vassar in the Liberty League semifinals. Action between the Herons and the Brewers is set for 4 p.m.