GENEVA, N.Y.— Three different Herons scored as the William Smith field hockey team grabbed a crucial 3-2 conference victory against RPI this afternoon on McCooey Field. With the win, the Herons improve to 8-7 on the season with a 2-2 record in conference play, while the Engineers fall to 7-5 overall with a 1-3 mark in the Liberty League.
 
The thrilling conference matchup saw a back-and-forth battle between William Smith and RPI. The Engineers held a 10-9 advantage in shots, while both teams landed seven shots on target. RPI earned nine penalty corners, while the Herons tallied seven. William Smith held a 5-4 edge in saves in the crucial conference victory.
 
Sophomores Mia Batchelder and Ana Dios Vidal and senior Lily Gutch scored the Heron goals in the win, while sophomore Caroline Kogut and senior Abby Jones were credited with one assist each. Gutch led the way with four shots, landing three on target for William Smith. Graduate student Rebecca Mantione fired off two, while Batchelder, Dios Vidal and sophomore Hadley Harbert added one shot each in the conference thriller.
 
First-year Olivia Terranova played all 60 minutes in goal for the Herons and made five saves in the win. Terranova improves to 5-5 on the season with the win.
MATCH MOMENTS:

• With under two minutes remaining in the opening quarter, William Smith would break the deadlock after being awarded its fourth penalty corner of the game. Junior Leah Griffith inserted the ball to Harbert who passed it back to Griffith. Griffith dished a pass off to Kogut who fired off a shot. Batchelder deflected the shot past the Engineer goalie to give the Herons a 1-0 lead. It was her first goal of the season.
• Just under five minutes later, William Smith would strike again to double its lead. After being awarded a free hit, Kogut found a wide-open Dios Vidal cutting through the defense. Dios Vidal sliced through two defenders and rocketed a shot past Tess Garchinsky to give the Herons a 2-0 lead.
• The Engineers responded with less than a minute remaining in the first half after being awarded a penalty corner. Emily Dubord slotted a shot past Terranova to bring RPI within one. Grace Johnson was credited with the assist.
• William Smith came out hot to open the second half, scoring a goal just 54 seconds into the third quarter. Kogut fired a shot from the top of the arc after receiving the initial pass on a penalty corner. Her shot fell to the stick of Jones, who slotted a pass across goal to Gutch. Gutch's second attempt beat the Engineers goalie to give William Smith a 3-1 lead.
• RPI turned up the pressure in the final 29 minutes of the game, firing off seven shots and earning seven penalty corners in the second half. The Engineers pressure paid off in the 48th minute after a Brown shot slipped past a diving Terranova to make it a one-goal game. Ella Pasquarelli was credited with the assist after dishing the pass along the endline.
• William Smith locked down defensively in the final minutes of the game despite being down a player due to RPI pulling its goalie with three minutes remaining. The Herons stood tall defensively and closed out the conference battle on top 3-2.

COACHES CORNER:

"I'm proud of how we finished our opportunities early in the game today," said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "It was a great win for the Herons against a fast RPI squad. They really pushed the pace and made a strong surge in the second half, but I love how we stayed composed and maintained possession in the final minutes. We showed grit and trust in each other today!"

UP NEXT:

William Smith will be back in action Sunday, Oct. 19, when it travels to Poughkeepsie, New York, for a Liberty League matchup with Vassar. Action between the Herons and the Brewers is set for noon at Weinberg Turf Field.