GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College field hockey team kept a potent Vassar College off the scoreboard for more than 54 minutes, but ninth-ranked Brewers sticked home a pair of late goals to escape McCooey Field with a Liberty League win.
 
The Brewers (14-1, 7-0) came into the match averaging more than four goals per game and more than 24 shots per game, but the Herons deployed a defensive strategy that stymied the visitors for longer than any other team this season. As the match moved into the 55th minute, sophomore goalkeeper Alexandra DeVito and William Smith's backline had withstood wave after wave of Vassar attacks, keeping the match scoreless.
 
Prior to today's match, the latest Vassar had gone without scoring a goal was 50 minutes, a 2-1 loss at Christopher Newport on Sept. 7.
 
DeVito finished the day with nine saves and benefited from defensive saves by senior Samantha Petruzzo and Bennett Tierney.
 
The Brewers, who picked up their 12th straight win, finally broke through at the 54:43 mark with a flurry of three shots. DeVito thwarted the first two tries, but Megan Caveny collected the second rebound and knocked in her 10th goal of the season. Cristina Lopez tacked on an insurance goal in the 68th minute, finishing a feed from Caveny.
 
Vassar outshot William Smith 17-1 and had a 7-1 edge in penalty corners.
 
With the win, the Brewers secured the Liberty League regular season championship outright. Vassar ensured at least a share of the title with a 3-2 win over No. 6 Rochester on Friday. The Herons (5-10, 2-5) were knocked out of postseason contention at halftime when the Yellowjackets completed a 2-0 win over Rensselaer, a match that started an hour earlier.
 
William Smith will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 27, when the Herons host Messiah. The match is set to start at noon.