GENEVA, N.Y.—Sophomore
Sophie Craig unleashed a shot from just inside the striking circle in the right slot that deflected off the goalkeeper's blocker into the goal, giving William Smith College a 2-1 overtime victory over Skidmore College in Liberty League field hockey action this afternoon.
When these two teams get together, throw out the records and grab your popcorn because you're in for a great match. William Smith and Skidmore have squared of 34 times with each side winning 17. Twenty-one of the 34 showdowns have been decided by just a single goal. Today's match lived up to the tradition of one of the best rivalries in collegiate sports.
For nearly an hour, defense ruled the day. Heron sophomore
Alexandra DeVito and Thoroughbred senior Elizabeth Coughlin turned back attack after attack, leaving goose eggs on the board well into the second half. DeVito finished the day with nine saves, Coughlin recorded two stops.
Skidmore (6-8, 1-4) broke through first in the 55th minute. First-year Sofie Marshall sent a pass into the middle of the circle to sophomore Natalie Metzger. She steadied the ball with a reverse stick and then slipped a shot inside the right post for her first goal of the year.
Three minutes later, William Smith (5-8, 2-3) earned a penalty corner to set the stage for the equalizer. Junior
Kelsey Pierce fired a shot from the top of the circle that hit the post and ricocheted into the middle of the circle. Senior
Fallon Adair collected the rebound and flicked a shot that deflected off of a defender's stick, off another defender's shoulder and into the cage.
Skidmore had two penalty corners in the final 10 minutes of regulation, but never reclaimed the lead, necessitating overtime.
The Thoroughbreds earned their 12th penalty corner of the match about a minute into overtime, but came away empty handed when DeVito stopped Marissa Folts' shot.
On the counterattack, Craig took possession near midfield and dribbled up the right sideline. From a spot in front of the Skidmore bench, she ripped a pass toward the middle of the field that was intended for Adair. It was intercepted and got caught up in the feet of a Skidmore player, giving the ball back to the Herons. Craig took a quick restart and dribbled right at a Thoroughbred, knocking a pass off her feet. With a delayed whistle on her side, Craig allowed the ball to trickle into the circle before ripping the game-winning shot 1:40 into overtime.
William Smith continues Liberty League play on Friday, Oct. 19, when the Herons visit Rensselaer for a 4 p.m. match. Skidmore is back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 17, traveling to Utica for a non-conference match at 7 p.m.
