The No. 5 William Smith College soccer team completed the regular season with a 1-0 Liberty League win over RIT at Tiger Stadium this afternoon. Heron senior Krista Longo registered the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute.
 
William Smith has now notched 13 straight wins all by shutout. The Herons have posted a total of 14 shutouts this season. William Smith is now 14-1-1 overall and completes its conference schedule with a perfect 8-0-0 record to capture the Liberty League regular season title for the ninth year in a row.
 
The Herons are the top seed in the Liberty League tournament and will host No. 4 seed Vassar on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 1:30 p.m. on Cozzens Field. RIT will be the second seed. The Tigers will host No. 3 St. Lawrence in the other semifinal game on Nov. 4.

Shots were 11-6 in favor of the Herons, who took seven corner kicks to four for the Tigers. Kelly Rogers took the loss in net for RIT, making four saves. First-year Kaileen Murray played the first 45 minutes for William Smith and did not need to make a save. First-year Veronica Romines played the second half and picked up the win for William Smith, making one save.
 
In the 73rd minute, the Herons were putting the Tigers under pressure. A Tiger defender was whistled for a trip inside the RIT penalty box, awarding a penalty kick attempt for William Smith. Longo converted the try, giving the Herons a 1-0 lead. Longo now shares the team lead with nine goals and 21 points this season.


William Smith came close to getting on the scoreboard early in the game when Longo had a header off a Heron corner kick that went just wide of the net. RIT had a good chance 30 minutes into the game when Emily Thiel sent in a service from the flank. Monique Polanco got a touch on the ball, but could not control enough to get a shot away.

The best scoring chance for either team came late in the opening half on a William Smith set piece. Junior Bridget Westerman snuck into the open space inside the RIT box and received the pass. Rogers came off her line to cut down the angle and made the save on the shot, keeping the game scoreless.

Anka Parzych had a chance at the end of the first half when she flung a bicycle kick that just missed the William Smith cross bar.

The Tigers best chance came in the second half on a corner kick. Courtney Hunt sent in the service that May headed toward the Herons net. Her shot was blocked down and the ball was loose inside the six-yard box. Nobody could get a clean shot away and the Herons defense knocked it out for a RIT corner kick. Lauren Chester also had a good look from 15 yards out with 19 minutes to play, but Romines denied the chance for her lone save of the afternoon.