Box Score The 17th-ranked William Smith College field hockey team fell to seventh-ranked Skidmore 3-1 in the conference opener this afternoon. The Herons jumped out to an early 1-0 lead but were unable to hold on.
 
Sophomore Katie Meyer got the Herons (5-3, 0-1) lone goal in the contest just shy of the three minute mark. Hannah Wood dribbled the ball up the right side of the field and fed Meyer for her fourth goal of the year.
 
A little less than two minutes later, Dani DeGregory tied things up for the Thoroughbreds (7-1, 1-0). She collected her own rebound and fired one past Heron goalie Catherine Hare to tie the game at one. In the second half, DeGregory deked a defender and blasted a shot into the back of the net to give Skidmore a 2-1 lead. She completed the hat trick in the 52nd minute when she collected a bouncing ball in front of the net and buried her 18th goal of the season.
 
Hare played all 70 minutes for William Smith posting seven saves, including a couple of highlight reel saves, to keep the game 1-1 in the first half. Amy Beck got the start for the Thoroughbreds making five saves on the contest.
 
Skidmore outshot the Herons 14-8 and held a 7-4 advantage on penalty corners.
 
William Smith returns to action tomorrow afternoon when they host St. Lawrence in a 2 p.m. game at McCooey Field.