ROCHESTER, N.Y.— After 75 minutes of thrilling Liberty League action, the William Smith field hockey team's comeback against No. 18 University of Rochester fell short as the Yellowjackets defeated the Herons 3-2 in double overtime. With the loss, William Smith falls to 5-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while Rochester moves to 10-2 overall with a 1-1 mark in the Liberty League.
Junior Abby Jones opened the scoring in the 40th minute with her third goal of the season, while first-year Caroline Kogut tallied her team-leading sixth goal this season to force the game to overtime. Kogut's penalty stroke goal to tie the game was William Smith's first successful penalty stroke of the season. She led the team with five shots against the Yellowjackets, while Jones added three and junior Lily Gutch fired off two.
Rochester held an 18-12 advantage in shots against William Smith, including a 10-7 edge in shots on target. The Herons applied pressure in the second half, outshooting the Yellowjackets 8-6 with four penalty corners to Rochester's zero. The Yellowjackets tallied eight penalty corners through 75 minutes and held the Herons to just six.
First-year Baker Jeremiah played all 75:11 in goal for William Smith and recorded six saves. She is now 5-7 on the season.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- The Herons opened the scoring in the 40th minute after a counter attack caught the Yellowjacket back line by surprise. Jones led the charge for William Smith and fired off a shot that was saved by the Rochester goalie. The rebound fell right back to Jones who buried a shot near post past the goalie to give the Herons a 1-0 lead.
- Just over four minutes later, Rochester responded as the time expired in the third quarter. Mara Heppard blasted a long pass down the field that found the stick of Grayson Honig. She beat one defender to the ball and slotted a shot to the back post to tie the game.
- 2:41 into the fourth quarter the Yellowjackets would find the back of the net again. After a scramble in front of the goal, Zoe Conomikes turned and fired off a shot from about 12 yards out past Jeremiah to give Rochester its first lead of the day.
- With less than four minutes remaining in regulation, William Smith earned three consecutive penalty corners. On the third attempt, Kogut fired off a shot that was blocked illegally, giving the Herons a penalty stroke opportunity. Kogut buried her shot to tie the game at 2-2, forcing overtime.
- The overtime periods saw back-and-forth action between William Smith and Rochester with the teams combining for eight shots. In the 75th minute, the Yellowjackets secured the victory with Honig's second goal of the night. Sophia Cuneo's original shot was blocked by sophomore Elle Oberfield. The rebound fell to Honig who slotted her shot into the goal to give the Yellowjackets the win.
COACHES CORNER:
"We played a great game tonight," said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "I'm so proud of how hard we fought through four quarters and two overtimes. It was a back-and-forth game and a really exciting match to be part of. These are the types of games we want to be part of, and it was great to get some overtime experience. We are excited to be back on McCooey Field this weekend."
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 12, when it hosts Union (7-4, 1-1) for its second annual "Kids Day". The conference showdown between the Herons and the Garnet Chargers is set for 1 p.m. on McCooey Field. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in "Kids Day", please register here.
