For the fourth straight week, the William Smith lacrosse team came in at No. 2 in the IL Women / Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine Polls. For the first time this season, the Herons picked up a first place vote.
 
William Smith improved to 9-0 on the season with a 16-5 victory over St. John Fisher, which was receiving votes last week, and a 13-4 victory over Skidmore. The Herons are 3-0 in Liberty League play to start the season. Sophomore Natalie Daniels and junior Maura Smeader were named to the weekly honor roll following their performances in the wins.
 
Daniels had eight points on seven goals and an assist. She added eight draw controls, four ground balls and a caused turnover against the Cardinals and Thoroughbreds. In the St. John Fisher game, Daniels had two goals and an assist. Against Skidmore, she scored a season-high five goals, including a second-half hat trick. Daniels is credited with the game-winning goal against the Thoroughbreds. A starter in all nine games, Daniels leads the team with 39 draw controls. She is second on the team with 27 goals.
 
Smeader was 2-0 in goal for the Herons last week. She finished the week with 18 saves, a 4.50 GAA and a .667 save percentage. Smeader also had seven ground balls. On Wednesday against St. John Fisher she made 10 saves and had two ground balls. Against Skidmore, Smeader made eight saves. Smeader is 9-0 this season with a 6.31 GAA and a .565 save percentage. She is sixth in the nation in save percentage and eighth in the nation in GAA.
 
With two wins last week, Smeader now has 47 career wins. She is tied for second on William Smith's career wins list with Sarah Daniels '95. Rebecca Splain '04 holds the career wins record with 59.
 
The Herons begin a five-game road trip this weekend, April 5-6, when it heads to the North Country to take on St. Lawrence and Clarkson. William Smith will take on the Saints on Friday at 4 p.m. and face the Golden Knights on Saturday at 2 p.m.