Box Score GENEVA, N.Y.—William Smith College defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 14-8 in Liberty League women’s lacrosse action this afternoon on McCooey Field. The Herons improved their overall record to 3-1 and moved to 2-0 in the league, while the Red Hawks dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Leading the William Smith offense today was first-year Molly Fitzgerald (Gould Acadmey/Sudbury, Mass.). She tallied a game-high four points on three goals and an assist, while sophomore Nina Sperry (Daniel Hand/Madison, Conn.) also added three goals. Seniors Sarah Dillon (Blair Acadmey/Oldwick, N.J.) and Jessica Scott (Waynflete School/Portland, Maine), and junior Jesse McKenna (Middlesex School/Wenham, Mass.) all tallied two goals and a helper for the Herons.
Sophomore Kerri Clark (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) led the Red Hawks with a goal and two assists, while first-year Sam Fennessey (Saratoga Springs/Gansevoort, N.Y.) tallied one of each, and junior Natalie White (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.) netted two goals.
William Smith struck first, as McKenna set up Scott two minutes into the game. The teams traded goals for the remainder of the first half. RPI took a 6-4 advantage into the break, following Fennessey’s lone goal of the day in the 30th minute.
The Herons came out to play in the final period, scoring 10 second-half goals for the second time in as many games. Fitzgerald sparked the scoring with a free position goal in the 34th minute, cutting RPI’s lead to one.
Junior Carly Strife (Saratoga Springs/Ballston Spa, N.Y.) answered with an unassisted goal to put the Red Hawks back up, 7-5.
Dillon and Sperry took over from there for the Herons. They each scored two goals in three minutes to take a 9-7 lead. William Smith did not look back, netting five of the final six goals.
The Herons out shot the Red Hawks 38-22, and owned a 19-5 advantage on draw controls.
Sophomore goalkeeper Becky Josefiak (West Seneca East/West Seneca, N.Y.) picked up nine saves for William Smith en route to her third win of the season, while first-years Ariana Hood (Old Mill/Severn, Md.) and Emily Perkins (Bow/Bow, N.H.) collected eight and six saves, respectively, for Rensselaer.
The Herons host St. John Fisher on March 28 for a non-conference game at 4 p.m.
