GENEVA, N.Y.-The William Smith College hockey team was defeated by Amherst 4-1 in a non-conference contest at The Cooler this evening. The Herons are now 7-5-0 on the season while the Mammoths improve to 4-3-2.
 
First-year Mia LaPlante scored for William Smith. Sophomore Amanda Aalto started and made 11 saves in 20 minutes of action in goal for William Smith. Junior Olivia Williams made 25 saves in the final 40 minutes.
 
Leslie Schwartz had a game-high three points on three assists for Amherst. Emma Flynn (1g, 1a) and Mia DelRosso (2a) added two points each. Caitlin Walker started in goal and stopped 18 of the 19 shots she faced.
 
Amherst opened the scoring just over 90 seconds into the first period. Carley Daly fired home a shot from the right faceoff circle for her third goal of the season. Daly's power-play goal was set up by a tape-to-tape pass from DelRossio. Schwartz picked up the secondary assist on the goal. Jillian Mazzocca extended the lead to 2-0 with her fifth goal of the season. She tapped home a rebound from right in front of the cage. DelRosso was credited with an assist on the goal.
 
William Smith had the first chance of the second period, but junior Jules Kennedy had a shot from the right faceoff circle stopped by Walker. Junior Julia Mings' rebound attempt was also stopped by Walker. The Herons had another flurry midway through the period, but again Walker was up to the task. First-years Laura Hill and Julianna Gong both had point-blank shots robbed by the Amherst goalie.
 
The Mammoths took a 3-0 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the second period. Emma Flynn redirected a shot from Schwartz across the goal line.
 
The Herons broke up the shutout bid just past the midway point of the third period. LaPlante banked home a rebound from right in front of the cage. Gong and junior Lexi Nottke were credited with assists on the power-play goal.
 
Angelina Wiater iced the game with an empty-net power-play goal with just over a minute remaining in the game. Schwartz and Flynn were credited with assists on the goal. Flynn broke up a clearing attempt and cycled back into the neutral zone. She fired a pass to Schwartz at the opposite blue line. Schwartz tapped the puck to Wiater, who sent the puck into the empty net.
 
Amherst finished the game with a 40-19 edge in shots on goal. The Mammoths were 2-for-2on the power play and the Herons were 1-for-1 with the extra skater.
 
William Smith and Amherst will be back in action tomorrow afternoon. Faceoff at The Cooler is scheduled for 4 p.m.