GENEVA, N.Y. —The 15th-ranked William Smith College lacrosse team used a six-goal run in the second half to pull away from Rochester 14-7 in the Liberty League opener for both teams. With high winds in the forecast, the game was played on Stiles Field in the Poole Family Sports Dome.
 
Senior Kelsey Williams and sophomore Maddie Montgomery shared game-high honors with four points each for the Herons (1-1, 1-0). Williams logged a game-high four goals while Montgomery tallied three goals and an assist. Seniors Anna Murphy and Rachel Yackel and junior Payton McMahon notched two goals apiece. Senior Ellie Burns pocketed a goal and an assist in the game to reach the 100-point plateau. Senior Mekayla Montgomery had a game-high four caused turnovers and brought in five ground balls. Maddie Montgomery won six draw controls. First-year Maddie Bamberger started in goal and played all sixty minutes, making nine saves.
 
Mary Panepento recorded a team-high four points on three goals and an assist for the Yellowjackets (2-1, 0-1).  Emily Voss also logged a hat trick in the loss. Kendra Jones led Rochester with three caused turnovers and six draw controls while Grace Crochiere brought in four ground balls. Carlie Bendavid made seven saves in 60 minutes of action in goal.
 
Maddie Montgomery opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game with her third goal of the season. Ninety seconds later, Yackel notched her second goal of the year. Montgomery struck again to extend the lead to 3-0 just before the eight minute mark. Nine seconds later, Voss interrupted the Heron run with her sixth goal of the season. Montgomery gave Williams Smith a 4-1 lead on her fifth goal of the season. She dodged around a defender to complete the first hat trick of her collegiate career. Two minutes later, Panepento converted on a woman-up goal for her sixth goal of the season. Lucy Haggerty was credited with an assist on the goal. McMahon answered back with a woman-up goal of her own. She collected a pass from Montgomery and fired a shot in to the back of the cage. Murphy extended William Smith's lead to four goals on a bounce shot with 8:48 left in the first half. Rochester cut the lead to two on goals from Voss and Zoe Sullivan. Williams's first goal of the season gave William Smith a 7-4 lead heading into halftime.
 
The two teams traded goals to start the second half. Voss completed her hat trick off a feed from Panepento two minutes into the frame. Sixty-two seconds later, McMahon converted a free position attempt to give the Herons an 8-5 lead. Panepento's seventh goal of the season drew the Yellowjackets within two, but that would be as close as Rochester would get. Yackel started a six-goal run for the Herons with 21:23 left in the half. Her third goal of the season was assisted by Burns. After a stretch of unsettled play, Burns notched a goal of her own. Her third goal of the season was the 100th point of her career. Twenty-seven seconds later, Murphy notched her second goal of the game. Williams recorded a natural hat trick, pocketing the final three goals of the run. Panepento wrapped up the game's scoring with 8:01 left in regulation.
 
William Smith finished the game with a 25-20 edge in shots, a 19-17 advantage in ground balls and a 15-8 edge in draw controls. The Herons were 20-for-22 clearing the ball while Rochester was 18-for 24.
 
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow, March 27, when it makes the return trip to Rochester. Opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Fauver Stadium.