GENEVA, N.Y.-The 19th-ranked William Smith College field hockey team used a strong defensive effort to upset 14th-ranked Skidmore 3-0 and claim its second straight Liberty League regular season championship on McCooey Field this afternoon.
 
William Smith (12-4, 5-1) gained a territorial edge in this afternoon's contest right from the opening hit when the Herons carried the ball into the offensive half of the field. In the third minute, William Smith earned its first penalty corner of the game and subsequently its first scoring opportunity. Junior Hannah Wood blasted a shot that missed wide from the left side of the arc.
 
The Herons continued to apply the pressure, forcing Thoughbreds' Krista Lamoreaux to make two defensive saves in the 19th minute. William Smith's third shot in the sequence hit Lamoreaux, who was blocking the goal, and the Herons were awarded a penalty stroke. Junior Maura Moran stepped up to the dot and converted on her fourth penalty stroke of the year. Skidmore's goalie Elizabeth Coughlin knocked the initial shot down with her pad; however, the backspin she put on the ball caused it to roll towards the goal line. Coughlin kicked the ball off the line but it ricocheted off her own leg pad and trickled into the cage. Moran, who is second on the team with 12 goals, is now 4-4 on penalty strokes this season. Lamoreaux finished the half with more saves than her goalie.
 
Following the Heron goal, Skidmore gained momentum, firing four of the half's final five shots on the Heron cage. Only one found its way to senior goalie Biz Chirco who kicked it aside. In the final 25 seconds of the half, Alanna Fitzgerald recorded a defensive save to keep Lamoreaux from tying the game at one.
 
The Thoroughbreds (12-5, 4-2) kept their momentum going early in the second half, applying pressure in their attacking third. Chirco was called upon again in the 42nd minute when she batted a shot from Seeley Fancher out of the air. Miranda Davenport's rebound attempt went wide.
 
After finally gaining possession, Head Coach Sally Scatton used her timeout to relieve some of the pressure. The call paid off as William Smith regained its composure. In the 45th minute, senior Alessandra Patrizio blasted a shot off the left post. William Smith doubled its lead in the 51st minute when junior Alexandra Frary pocketed her sixth goal of the season. Classmate Hannah Wood was credited with an assist on the goal after setting up Frary with a short cross cage pass.  Fray carried the ball towards the right post and slapped the shot past Coughlin. Patrizio's ninth goal of the season gave the Herons a 3-0 lead three minutes later. She used her long reach to redirect an Austen Gillen-Keeney centering pass behind Coughlin.
 
William Smith got a solid team effort out of its defensive unit to keep a potent Skidmore offense at bay all game long. Seniors Cydney Conley, Lauren Stevenson, and Emily Granger, sophomore Alanna Fitzgerald, and Frary played all 70 minutes and limited a Thoroughbred offense that averaged 3.44 goals per game to just nine shots in the contest.
 
In goal, Chirco played all 70 minutes, making three saves on her way to recording her second shutout of the season. At the other end of the field, Coughlin made two stops in 70 minutes.
 
The Herons finished with a 14-9 edge in shots and earned nine penalty corners to Skidmore's five.
 
In the conference tournament, William Smith will host the No. 4 seed, Rochester on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The Yellowjackets handed the Herons its only conference loss on Oct. 11.  The Thoroughbreds will travel to No. 2 Vassar in the other semifinal. Game times will be announced later in the week.
 
William Smith will conclude its regular season slate on Saturday, Oct. 29, when it hosts No. 1 Messiah on McCooey Field. Skidmore will conclude its regular season on Thursday, Oct. 27 when it travels to face Oneonta.