GENEVA, N.Y. - The seventh-ranked William Smith College field hockey team bounced back from its first loss of the season, defeating Rochester 3-2 on McCooey Field this evening. Junior Jessica Borbee scored late in the game to give the Herons the victory.

The Yellowjackets (9-3, 1-1) struck first when Sayaka Abe scored in the third minute off of a penalty corner. Abe collected the ball, dribbled it inside the arc and fired a shot into the back of the net. Just seconds before, Michelle Relin had a shot stopped by Madison Finn. Finn was awarded a defensive save on the play.

William Smith (10-1, 2-1) leveled the score when sophomore Hannah Wood notched her 15th goal of the season. Classmate Maura Moran inserted a penalty corner to the top of the 16-yard arc where junior Cydney Conley teed up a shot for Wood. Wood blasted the ball past Rochester's Tara Lamberti to even the score. Moran and Conley were credited with assists.

In the 54th minute, junior Alessandra Patrizio notched her team-leading 16th goal of the year. She redirected an Alexandra Frary shot past Lamberti to give William Smith a 2-1 lead. Frary's shot was lifted over the head of a Rochester defender and Patrizio got a stick on the ball to beat the goalie.

A little over a minute later, Rochester's Michelle Relin tied the game at two. Off of a scramble in front of the cage, she collected a loose ball and tucked it into the cage.

In the 63rd minute, Borbee scored her third goal of the season to put the Herons up for good. She collected a rebound and fired a shot that hit a defender's stick in front and the ball redirected through Lamberti's pads and into the goal.

Junior Biz Chirco started in goal for the Herons and recorded a save. Lamberti played all 70 minutes in goal for the Yellowjackets and turned aside nine shots.
William Smith dominated the stat sheet, earning a 20-6 advantage in shots and a 9-4 edge in penalty corners.

William Smith will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 10, when they host No. 19 New Paltz on McCooey Field. The non-conference game is scheduled to begin at noon.