Box Score GENEVA, N.Y.—It was Senior Day at McCooey Field, as the 13th-ranked William Smith College field hockey team hosted Nazareth College, but it was a first-year that stole the show. Rookie Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) recorded her first career hat trick in a 3-0 win over the Golden Flyers.

The match could have been much more lopsided, if not for the outstanding play of Nazareth junior Heather Sautter (Marathon/Marathon, N.Y.). The Flyers’ goalie turned away all seven shots she faced in the first half, and finished the contest with 15 stops.

Dennis finally solved Sautter 1:44 into the second frame, when she stuffed home a feed from classmate Liz Saucier (Old Town/Old Town, Maine). Ten minutes later, Dennis doubled William Smith’s lead, dribbling around two defenders and beating Sautter to her right.

Dennis’ third goal of the afternoon was the easiest of the three. A shot by sophomore Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.) caught the inside of Sautter’s left foot, trickled between her pads, right to Dennis, who tapped home her 15th goal of the season.

The William Smith (13-4) roster features just one senior, goalie Jessica Kulesa (Garden City/Garden City, N.Y.). She stopped the only shot she faced to register her fifth shutout of the season, the ninth of the year for the Heron defense.

Nazareth (4-13) managed just two shots during the game, both in the final 17 minutes, as William Smith outshot its guests 27-2.

The Herons will be back in action, when they host the UCAA Championship Tournament, Nov. 8-9. Top-seeded William Smith will play No. 4 Rensselaer at 11 a.m., on Nov. 8, followed by No. 2 Skidmore and No. 3 St. Lawrence at 2 p.m. The winners will meet at 1 p.m., on Nov. 9, for the league title and the accompanying automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

—HWS SPORTS—