GENEVA, N.Y.--The top-ranked William Smith College field hockey team survived a late scare by the St. Lawrence University Saints and escaped with a 3-2 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association win. Junior Nicky Livingston (Whitney Point/Whitney Point, N.Y.) scored the game-winner with 90 seconds remaining and made a defensive save with 20 seconds remaining to stave off a last minute surge by the Saints.
The Herons, who have won 15 consecutive games, owned the first half firing 15 shots. William Smith finally cracked the scoring column when senior Lauren vonBereghy (University Lake School/Hartland, Wis.) converted a penalty stroke with 5:46 remaining in the opening frame. Three minutes later, junior Jackie Hall (Berkshire School/Newport, R.I.) gave the Herons (15-1, 6-0) a 2-0 lead heading into the break, scoring on another penalty stroke.
In the second half, William Smith continued to fire shot after shot in the direction of St. Lawrence net-minder, senior Kendra Mason (Otter Valley/Sudbury, Vt.), but Mason was up to the task. She finished with 23 saves.
Meanwhile the Saint's offense got on track with 10:01 remaining in the contest when junior Lindsay Wormwood (Rutland/Rutland, Vt.) solved William Smith junior goalie Marjie MacVean (Johnstown/Johnstown, N.Y.). Sixty-seven seconds later, St. Lawrence (7-7, 3-3) equalized, when first-year Lauren Greene (Notre Dame/North Brookfield, Mass.) finished a feed from junior Stacey Turner (Tabor Academy/Plymouth, Mass.).
MacVean finished with four saves.
The Herons had 27 penalty corners on the afternoon, but failed to convert a single one, until it mattered most. On their final corner of the afternoon, Livingston took the ball, dribbled around two defenders and beat Mason for the decisive score with 1:30 remaining on the game clock. Her eighth goal of the season didn't end the drama. Livingston made her second, and by far most important, defensive save of the season with 20 seconds remaining and the Saints once again knocking on the door.
William Smith will return to action on Sat., Oct. 21, when they host Hamilton College at 2 p.m. A victory would secure the UCAA Championship and its accompanying automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which starts Nov. 1.
--HWS SPORTS--
