LAS VEGAS, Nev.—The 11th-ranked William Smith soccer team scored a pair of second half goals as it knocked off 23rd-ranked Emory in a NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Semifinal match. With the win, the Herons advance to the national championship game for the first time since 2019.
The Herons (17-3-4) will take on No. 1 Washington (Mo.), who defeated Christopher Newport 3-0 in the other semifinal. The national championship match will be played at UNLV's Peter Johann's Memorial Field at 3 p.m. (noon PT), on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Junior
Anna Nichols and first-year
Nell Dwyer scored for the Herons. Graduate student
Kirsten Nelson played all 90 minutes in goal and made four saves.
The Eagles finish their season with a 14-4-4 overall record. Sophia Garcia played all 90 minutes in goal and made one save.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Emory finished the game with an 18-4 advantage in shots, including a 4-3 edge in shots on goal.
- William Smith had eight corner kicks, including seven in the second half. Emory had three.
MATCH MOMENTS
- The Eagles had a 10-2 advantage in shots in the opening 45 minutes, but only put one shot on cage.
- In the 35th minute, Kaitlyn Nimmer had a pair of shots blocked by William Smith defenders.
- In the 44th minute, Emily Woodall just missed the right goal post.
- Dwyer opened the scoring in the 47th minute. She headed a Ruth Hotaling centering pass over Garcia's hands. It was Dwyer's third goal of the season.
- Nichols doubled William Smith's lead in the 59th minute. She collected a bouncing ball in the box and slipped a shot past Garcia. It was her first collegiate goal.
- Emory did not go quietly into the Vegas night. The Eagles had a flurry in the middle portion of the second half, but they could not sneak a shot past Nelson.
- In the 67th minute, Nimmer had a chance turned aside by a diving Nelson.
- Woodall fired a shot off of the right goalpost two minutes later.
- In the 73rd minute, Woodall had a shot smothered by Nelson.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE