SCRANTON, Pa.—The third-ranked William Smith College soccer team was edged by top-ranked The College of New Jersey 1-0 in an NCAA quarterfinal at the University of Scranton's Weiss Field this afternoon.
 
The Herons finished their season with a 19-2-1 overall record. William Smith's 19 wins are tied for fifth on the school's single-season list. A historic offensive season, the Herons' 84 goals, 66 assists and 234 points are all second on William Smith's single-season list.
 
An evenly played match, the Herons finished the contest with a 14-12 edge in shots and a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks.
 
In the first half, William Smith had three shots on goal, but Alexandra Panasuk was up to the task, stopping all three shots. Sheila McQuillen had the game's first chance, but her right-footed shot was smothered by the goalie.  In the ninth minute, Ava Curtis had the Lions' first chance, but she fired her free kick over the crossbar. In the 23rd minute, McQuillen had another shot turned aside by Panasuk. In the 41st minute, Emma Kirts tested Panasuk with a shot from 20-yards out, but the veteran goalie calmly corralled the bouncing shot.
 
In the 49th minute, Panasuk made a diving stop on a cross cage shot from Julia Keogh. Keogh broke down the right wing and into the 18-yard box. With Panasuk moving to her left, Keogh tried to chip the shot over the goalie, but she made a spectacular diving save. A minute later, Merilyn Hinrichs fired a shot that just missed the left goal post.
 
At the opposite end of the pitch, Nikki Butler broke the deadlock for TCNJ (20-0-2). She fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard box off of the left goalpost and into the right corner of the cage. Butler's fourth goal of the season in the 59th minute was assisted by Gianna Coppola.
 
In the 61st minute, the Herons had a pair of chances to tie the game, but Panasuk stopped shots from Hinrichs and Keogh. Six minutes later, Keogh and Amanda Adams broke into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1, but Keogh's shot from 10-yards out whistled wide right.  
 
TCNJ nearly made it 2-0 in the 75th minute, but Lindsay O'Keefe's long-distance shot hit the crossbar.
 
In the 79th minute, Hinrichs had a scoring chance when she found herself all alone at the top of the 18-yard box, but her shot drifted over the crossbar. Seneca Blakely-Armitage attempted to tie the game at the buzzer but her shot was saved by Panasuk.
 
Amanda Kesler started in goal and made three saves. Panasuk made seven saves in 90 minutes of action in the TCNJ goal.
 
Since 2017, Julia Keogh, Amanda Adams, Merilyn Hinrichs and Sheila McQuillen's first year on campus, the Herons have produced a 76-9-3 overall record. The seven members of the Class of 2022 posted a record of 57-7-3.