Box Score CLINTON, N.Y.--The 10th-ranked William Smith College field hockey team clinched the top seed in the Liberty League Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Hamilton College this afternoon. Junior Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) led the way with five points.

The Herons (12-3) opened the scoring in the 35th minute, when Dennis converted her third penalty stroke of the season to send William Smith into the break with the lead.

In the second half, the Herons broke the match open with three goals in a span of just over three minutes. On a penalty corner in the 47th minute, Dennis got the ball rolling with her 14th goal of the year, assisted by senior Lauren Fuller (Shaker/Loudonville, N.Y.). In the 49th minute, junior Brooke Atwood (Marathon/Marathon, N.Y.) scored on a penalty corner, assisted by Dennis and senior Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.). Sixty-seven seconds later, Dolan scored her 14th of the year on a feed from senior Amy Kuzio (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.).

The Continentals (5-8, 2-4) broke up the shutout in the 64th minute.

In goal, senior Sue Jordan (Boothbay/Boothbay, Maine) made four stops to earn the win.

The victory gives the Herons a 6-0 record in the Liberty League with one game remaining. William Smith holds the tie-break over the second-seed, Skidmore (5-1), by virtue of a 2-1 win in Geneva on Oct. 7. The other six teams in the conference are competing for the final two spots in the tournament. No team has been mathematically eliminated.

The Herons will close out their conference schedule at 2 p.m. on Oct. 22, when they visit St. Lawrence (7-4, 2-3).