Box Score LAKE LYTAL,Fla.—The 17th-ranked William Smith College lacrosse team defeated Messiah 15-11 in it's first game of the 2009 season. Juniors Sarah Goodkind (Millbrook School/Greenwich, Conn.) (4 goals-1 assist) and Molly Fitzgerald (Gould Academy/Sudbury, Mass.) (3-2) each tallied five points to lead the Herons. William Smith now stands at 1-0 overall, while the Falcons slip to 2-2 on the season.

The Herons came out firing, netting the first three goals of the game. Goodkind opened the scoring just 26 seconds into the contest, followed by sophomore Cassie Findlay (Episcopal/Riverside, Conn.) with the first of her two goals of the day at the eight-minute mark. First-year Lucy Johnson (Millburn/Short Hills, N.J.) notched her first collegiate tally 21 seconds later, giving William Smith an early 3-0 lead.

Messiah got on the board with 19:28 to play in the first half, thanks to an unassisted goal from Rachel Dirksen, but Fitzgerald would answer with two goals to increase the Herons' lead to 5-1.

The Falcons mounted a comeback over the final 5:16 of the half, recording five of the seven goals scored in that time frame, including two from Dirksen. Findlay and sophomore Alayna Beebe (Prout School/Newport, R.I.) accounted for the Herons' goals to end the stanza. Both Findlay and Beebe totaled two goals and an assist on the day. William Smith held an 8-6 advantage at the break.

In the second half, the Falcons got within one, 9-8, after another Dirksen tally, but the Herons would pull away with three-straight goals from senior Michaela Parnell (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.), senior Karin LeBlanc (Conard/West Hartford, Conn.), and Goodkind, to put the game out of reach. Dirksen finished with a game-high five goals.

William Smith first-year Rosie Scheibel (Auburn/Auburn, N.Y.) also recorded her first collegiate goal today, notching an insurance tally with 2:34 left on the clock.

Senior Heron goalkeeper Rebecca Josefiak (West Seneca East/West Seneca, N.Y.) collected five saves, while Jen Venter stopped 11 shots for the Falcons. Defensively, senior Torie Allen (The Governor's Academy/Dedham, Mass.) won six draw controls for William Smith, and picked up one ground ball.

The Herons will be back in action on Thurs., March 19, when they take on Brockport at 10:30 a.m.