Box Score Skidmore College scored with less than three minutes remaining in the Liberty League Field Hockey Tournament Championship match to eke out a 4-3 victory over William Smith College at Wagner Park in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., today. Tournament MVP Sam Skott tipped in the game winner at the 67:37 mark.
 
The Herons (15-4) got goals from senior Julia Simmons, senior Margaret McConnell, and first-year Alessandra Patrizio. All three were named All-Tournament as were seniors Taylor Cappello and Morgan Atanasio. First-year goalie Amy Feda made three saves.
 
Skidmore (17-3) had four different goal scorers. Joining Skott on the tally sheet were Kelly Blackhurst, Dani DeGregory, and Jenn Hanks. All three received All-Tournament accolades as did Pauline Searles and goalie Haley McDougall, who finished the match with eight saves.

Hanks opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but William Smith responded in the 10th minute, as Simmons tallied her 11th goal of the season with a lofted shot from the top of the circle.
 
DeGregory restored the Skidmore lead in the 30th minute, dribbling past her defender and ripped a backhand from 12 yards. The Herons again equalized, this time just 26 seconds later as Patrizio tipped in junior Caitlin Moran's shot from the top of the circle.

The Thoroughbreds jumped back in front 37 seconds into the second half through on Blackhurst's goal.
 
William Smith continued to demonstrate its resiliency, bringing the game level in the 53rd minute on a penalty corner. McConnell scored her fourth goal is as many games, recovering a loose ball and firing a shot from the top of the circle.
  
With the game looking like it was headed to overtime, Skott secured the final lead change at 67:37, redirecting Sam Revera's long-range effort.
 
The Herons threatened late, but McDougall stood tall, making the biggest of her eight saves in the 69th minute, turning away Cory Connolly's close-range effort. William Smith had one final chance from a penalty corner with no time remaining on the clock, but the Herons were unable to generate a shot on the play.
 
William Smith outshot Skidmore 16-14, while the Thoroughbreds owned a 9-6 advantage in penalty corners.
 
Skidmore earns the Liberty League's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. William Smith will have to await the 24-team tournament announcement, expected late in the evening on Nov. 10 on NCAA.com. Eighteen of the 24 berths are reserved for automatic qualifiers, leaving just six for at-large teams.