GENEVA, N.Y.-The 15th-ranked William Smith College lacrosse team knocked off Oswego 18-3 in its home opener in the Thomas B. Poole '61 and Family Sports Dome this afternoon. The Herons scored 10 times in the first half to pull away from the Lakers.
 
Junior Ellie Burns led the way for William Smith (1-1), scoring four goals. Sophomore Payton McMahon also had four points on three goals and an assist. Junior Olivia Hofmann had a team-high four ground balls. Junior Mekayla Montgomery won a game-high 10 draws, one off her game record. With the 10 wins, Montgomery now has 172 for her career, which matches the William Smith record held by Lucy Johnson '12. Hofmann made six saves in 60 minutes in goal.
 
Molly Beck scored twice to lead the way for Oswego (1-1). Elianna Sanchez recorded a game-high four ground balls. Montana Garrett and Sela Wiley won two draws each. Sanchez made 13 saves in the Laker goal.
 
First-year Zoe Cook opened the scoring 34 seconds into the game with her second goal of the season. She deked around a defender and fired a shot past Sanchez. Just over a minute later, Oswego tied the game on Beck's first goal of the game and fourth of the season. She bounced a shot past Hofmann from directly in front of the cage. William Smith used a four-goal run to extend its lead to 5-1 with 10 minutes left in the half. Burns started the run with a pair of goals. Her first of the game and fourth of the season was unassisted. Two minutes later she collected a pass from junior Anna Murphy and fired a shot into the back of the net. First-year Mollly Davis netted her first collegiate goal with 18:08 remaining in the half. Eight minutes later, McMahon made it a four-goal game with an unassisted tally. Oswego won the ensuing draw and Kass Myers found Haley Call on the opposite post to end the Herons' run.
 
William Smith took control of the game with a five-goal run to end the first half. Murphy and junior Rachel Yackel each scored twice during the six minute span and senior Rachel Slagle added her first goal of the season to give the Herons an eight goal lead headed into the break.
 
William Smith and Oswego traded goals to open the second half. McMahon's sixth goal of the game with 27:13 left in regulation made it 11-2. Beck answered 20 seconds later with her fifth goal of the season. The Herons regained a nine-goal lead on first-year Kailin Pellechia's fourth goal of the season. Burns completed her hat trick with 18:27 remaining in regulation. She collected a pass from McMahon and dunked a shot past Sanchez. Two minutes later, McMahon collected her seventh goal of the season on a free-position attempt. First-year Whitney Kripsak scored in transition to make it 15-3. Senior Rachael Piercey was credited with an assist on Kripsak's first collegiate goal. Juniors Kelsey Williams and Delia Lawver, and Burns added goals down the stretch for Herons. Lawver's goal was credited as a woman-up goal after an Oswego player was given a yellow card.
 
William Smith finished the game with a 38-13 edge in shots. The Herons also held a 19-11 edge in ground balls. William Smith was 15-of-16 on clear attempts and Oswego was 11-of-16.
 
The Herons will be back in action Wednesday, March 4, when they welcome Nazareth to Geneva. Opening draw is scheduled for 4 p.m.