GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College field hockey team defeated Skidmore 1-0 in a Liberty League showdown this afternoon. Leading the way for the Herons was junior Sofia Pattillo, scoring the lone goal in the 48th minute. William Smith now sits at 10-2 on the season with a 2-1 record in conference play.

Junior Kristen McCormick recorded six saves on the day, earning her fifth shutout on the season.

MATCH MOMENTS:

• The Herons came out firing in the first quarter, applying pressure deep in the Skidmore half. The Herons outshot the Thoroughbreds 4-1 within the first 15 minutes.
• William Smith showed strong to close out the first half, keeping the first half edge in shots at 5-4.
• The third quarter was all Skidmore, firing off eight shots within 15 minutes. The Herons' defense continued to show strong through the Thoroughbreds offensive burst and keeping them off the board. Senior Kate Barilla recorded one defensive save to keep the shutout alive.
• In the 48th minute, the Herons would get on the board off a Pattillo shot that beat Victoria Bodnar. Graduate student Emily Leonard ripped a shot, forcing Bodnar to make a save but wouldn't deny Pattillo on the follow up.
• William Smith would continue to play solid throughout the remainder of the game, keeping the Thoroughbreds off the board to secure their second Liberty League victory of the season.

COACHES CORNER:

"I am so proud of our team," said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "Today was a great conference victory with Skidmore putting on a lot of pressure. We possessed the ball really well, remained focused on the process and stayed composed throughout the entire game. We played strong total team defense with Kristen making some great saves. Sofia had a big defensive play that resulted in our goal. "
 
UP NEXT:
The Herons will be back in action on Friday, Oct. 14, when they head to RPI to continue conference play at 4 p.m.