GENEVA, N.Y.—The top-seeded William Smith soccer team scored twice in the first half and never looked back as it defeated fourth-seeded Ithaca 3-0 in a Liberty League semifinal on Cozzens Field this afternoon.
Juniors Kristin Middaugh and Grace Metzler shared game-high honors, finishing with a goal and an assist each. Sophomore Brynn Schneider also scored for the Herons. Senior Antonia Goerke played all 90 minutes in goal and made one save as she earned the shutout.
Katrina Varnum played all 90 minutes in goal for the Bombers. She made five saves.
FOR THE RECORD
- With their 10th straight win, William Smith is now 14-3-0 on the season.
- Ithaca falls to 9-5-4 on the year.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- William Smith finished the game with a 17-3 advantage in shots.
- The Herons had six corner kicks in the game, and Ithaca had three.
FIRST HALF
- William Smith dominated the first half, outshooting Ithaca 15-0 in the first 45 minutes. The Herons' first chance of the game came off the foot of Middaugh. Her shot was turned aside by a diving Varnum.
- In the 14th minute, Schneider had a shot blocked by a Bomber defender.
- Two minutes later, Schneider gave William Smith a 1-0 lead. Standing near the six-yard box, she headed home an Aleena Solano free kick for her second goal of the season.
- Thirty-six seconds later, Middaugh picked up a rebound and chipped a shot past Varnum for her seventh goal of the year. Metzler was awarded an assist after her initial shot was stopped by the Ithaca goalie. The assist extended Metzler's point streak to nine straight games.
- Metzler had a chance to make it 3-0 in the 23rd minute, but her shot was smothered by Varnum.
SECOND HALF
- Ithaca's first shot of the game came in the 68th minute; Ellie Scivetti fired an attempt on goal over the crossbar.
- Sophomore Addison Stockwin nearly gave William Smith a 3-0 lead in the 85th minute, but her shot was cleared off the line by an Ithaca defender.
- Middaugh broke up the clear attempt at the top of the 18-yard box. She crossed a ball to the back post that was headed home by Metzler. It was Metzler's seventh goal of the season.
COACH'S CORNER
"We came out, and we were lights out. We really executed the game plan and were really focused on the in-between moments, and we stifled them whenever they had a chance to get the ball. We were moving it really well, and we were winning the first ball and the second ball, which was awesome. Second half, they posed us some different problems with how they pressed us, and it was a really good learning opportunity, and it's setting us up for a great game on Sunday." – Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie '08 said after the game.
UP NEXT
11th-ranked William Smith will be back in action on Sunday, Nov. 8, when it welcomes 15th-ranked and second-seeded Vassar to Cozzens Field for the Liberty League Championship game. The game is set to begin at 1:30 p.m.