CHESTERTOWN, Md. -- The William Smith field hockey team won its third postseason championship of the '90s with an impressive 5-1 victory over Wilkes University in the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Championship game. The Herons also won the 1992 and 1997 NCAA Division III Championships.
The Herons (15-7) charged out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Sophomore Nicky Livingston (Whitney Point/Whitney Point, N.Y.) opened the scoring less than six minutes into the game with a goal off an assist by junior Sage Lansing (Lake Forest/Lake Forest, Ill.). Seven minutes later, Livingston helped William Smith to a two-goal cushion assisting on sophomore Jackie Hall's (Berkshire School/Newport, R.I.) first goal of the day.
Livingston (Whitney Point/Whitney Point, N.Y.) was named the Tournament MVP. She scored three goals and assisted on two others in William Smith's championship run. She finished the season with a team-high 17 goals, including four game-winners, and four assists for a total of 38 points. Livingston averaged 1.81 points per game this season.
Junior Lauren von Bereghy (University Lake School/Hartland, Wis.) closed out the first half scoring with an unassisted goal at the 1:57 mark.
The Lady Colonels posted their lone goal of the contest 15 minutes into the second frame, but Hall and senior Ami Ford (Whitney Point/Whitney Point, N.Y.) added unassisted goals to seal the championship.
In the cage, sophomore Marjorie MacVean (Johnstown/Johnstown, N.Y.) made seven saves for the Herons, while January Johnson made nine stops for Wilkes.
The Herons outscored their opposition in the ECAC Tournament 13-1 with wins over Ithaca, 6-0; Wesley, 2-0; and Wilkes, 5-1.
Scoring 1 2 Final
Wilkes (14-8) 0 1 1
William Smith (15-7) 3 2 5
Individual Scoring: Wilkes - Clause 1-0, Currier 0-1. William Smith - Hall 2-0, Livingston 1-1, von Bereghy 1-0, Ford 1-0, Lansing 0-1. Goalies: Wilkes, Johnson (14-9). William Smith, MacVean (8-7). Shots: Wilkes 6-4-10. William Smith 12-5-17. Penalty Corners: Wilkes 2-8-10. William Smith 7-7-14.
--HWS SPORTS--
