ROCHESTER, N.Y.-The 16th-ranked William Smith College lacrosse team defeated Rochester Institute of Technology 14-11 on RIT's Turf Field this afternoon. The game was the season and Liberty League opener for both teams.
 
Sophomore Ellie Burns led the way for the Herons (1-0, 1-0) with four first half goals. Senior Bizzer Gahagan added three points on two goals and an assist. Sophomore Mekayla Montgomery had two goals for William Smith. Montgomery won a career-high eight draws and scooped up four ground balls. Fellow sophomores Sadie Mapstone and Anna Murphy also had four ground balls. Sophomore Olivia Hofmann made a career-high eight saves in goal.
 
Krystyna Sterio led the way for the Tigers (0-1, 0-1) with four goals. Alanna Fallone added four points on three goals and an assist. Colette Rigas and Meghan Donohue had two goals each. Maddi Dillabaugh had a game-high five ground balls and four caused turnovers. She also won six draws for RIT. Rebekah Snitkoff and Paulina Goodermote split time in goals. Snitkoff made three saves and Goodermote made five.
 
William Smith jumped out to an 8-5 lead at halftime. The Tigers opened the scoring 1:13 into the game on Sterio's first goal of the game. The Herons scored the next five goals to build a 5-1 lead. Burns tied the game just over three minutes into the game with her first goal. Junior Nicki Santora was credited with an assist on the goal. First-year Payton McMahon gave William Smith the lead for good with her first career goal. Burns doubled the Herons lead 52 seconds later on an assist from first-year Kelsie Worth. Murphy's first goal of the season extended the lead to 4-1. Burns completed her hat trick just over two minutes later. Sterio's second of the game ended the Herons' run. Burns answered just over a minute later with her fourth goal of the game. Alanna Fallone scored the next two goals to make it 6-4 but the Herons answered with a pair of goals of their own. Junior Rachel Slagle and sophomore Rachel Yackel each scored their first goals of the season. Rigas' first goal of the season made it a three-goal game headed into the break.
 
Rigas cut the deficit to two just over four minutes into the second half. William Smith rattled off the next four goals to take a six goal lead, its biggest of the game. Gahagan scored the first and fourth goals of the run. Sophomore Nicki Santora and Mapstone added goals during the run. Sterio and Fallone completed their hat tricks 17 seconds apart and Donohue's first goal of the game made it a three-goal game. Montgomery answered with her first goal as a Heron 95 seconds later. Montgomery added a second goal with just over three minutes left. Donohue wrapped up the scoring with her second goal of the game with 1:20 left in regulation.
 
The Herons finished the game with a 33-27 edge in shots and a 35-20 edge in ground balls. William Smith was 15-of-18 clearing the ball and RIT was 14-of-24. The Tigers had a 14-12 edge in draw controls.
 
William Smith will be back in action on Wednesday, March 6, when it welcomes Geneseo to Geneva, N.Y. Opening draw is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Boswell Field at David J Urick Stadium.