GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith field hockey team exploded for five first half goals on its way to a 5-3 Liberty League win over Union College on McCooey Field this afternoon. First-years Shannon Roycroft and Sorcha McCooey each had a hand in two goals on the day for the Herons.
 
William Smith (4-5, 1-1 LL) dominated the final stat sheet, outshooting the Dutchwomen 21-12 and holding a 10-8 advantage in penalty corners. Roycroft scored a pair of goals while McCooey added a goal and an assist. Senior Fallon Adair and sophomore Sophie Craig also hit the back of the cage, while junior Kelsey Pierce and first-year Emma Schafer recorded assists.
 
For Union (3-5, 0-2), Laura Wind had a goal and an assist.
 
The Dutchwomen controlled the play off the opening whistle, ringing a shot off the post in the third minute and missing a wide open cage in the seventh minute. The momentum swung over to the Herons as the match entered the 11th minute.
 
Craig got the Herons on the board, firing a shot from seven yards out in the right slot between the outstretch foot of the Union keeper and the near post. It was her team leading eight goal of the year. Two and a half minutes later, Roycroft gave the Herons a two-goal lead, collecting a rebound off the Dutchwoman keeper's pads and firing home her second goal of the season.
 
In the 21st minute, William Smith cashed in on a penalty corner. McCooey played the insert near the top of the arc and passed it to Adair, who swept her fifth goal of the year. The Herons made it 4-0 when Schafer fired a pass from near midfield that went untouched into the arc where Roycroft swept it into the goal.
 
Union got on the board when Wind collected a rebound off of sophomore goalkeeper Alexandra DeVito's pads and tucked a shot inside the right post. Just over a minute later, McCooey restored William Smith's four-goal lead, firing home a feed from Pierce, sending the Herons into halftime with a 5-1 lead.
 
The Dutchwomen kept things interesting with goals in the 45th and 65th minutes, to create the final two-goal margin.
 
DeVito earned the win with three saves. Union sophomore Heather Poisson recorded 14 stops on the day at the other end of the field. She also benefited from a defensive save by junior Jenna Smith.
 
The Herons will be back in action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3, when they travel to No. 14 Hamilton. Union will play its next match at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at Hartwick.