GENEVA, N.Y.— Senior Abby Jones scored 44 seconds into overtime as the William Smith field hockey team rallied to defeat St. John Fisher 3-2 in its season-opener this afternoon on McCooey Field. With the win, the Herons move to 1-0 on the season, while the Cardinals fall to 0-1 overall.
 
After being down 2-0 in the first quarter, William Smith stormed back thanks to a two-goal spark from sophomore Caroline Kogut to tie the game up. Kogut's four points led the Herons in the comeback win. Jones tallied two points with the game winner, while senior Lily Gutch and junior Leah Griffith each notched an assist in the win.
 
William Smith dominated the scoresheet, holding a 28-5 advantage in shots, including a 12-4 edge in shots on goal. The Herons earned 15 penalty corners compared to the Cardinals' one. St. John Fisher held an 8-2 advantage in saves, including a defensive save from Holly Stuart in the third quarter.
 
First-year Olivia Terranova played the final 45:44 in goal for William Smith and recorded two saves in her first career-win as a Heron.

MATCH MOMENTS:

• St. John Fisher opened the scoring 10:15 into the game after capitalizing on a counterattack. Mary Kate McPhee found a cutting Teresa Smith in front of the goal, who buried her shot into the back of the net for the first goal of the game.
• Less than a minute later, the same Cardinal duo would strike again to double the lead. McPhee found an open Smith, who tapped the ball in for her second goal of the day.
• At the 18:19 mark, William Smith was awarded a penalty stroke after senior Rebecca Mantione was tripped up in front of the goal. Kogut buried the shot past the goalie for her 13th career goal.
• Two minutes later the Herons would strike again, this time from a penalty corner. Gutch inserted the ball to Griffith, who played a pass to Kogut. Kogut ripped a shot from the top of the arc to tie the game at 2-2.
• William Smith nearly took the lead in the final minute of the third quarter as sophomore Hadley Harbert's shot was saved off the line by a Cardinal defender.
• The Herons held a 7-0 advantage in shots in the fourth quarter, but St. John Fisher's defense stood tall as it kept William Smith off the board and forced overtime.
• Just 44 seconds into overtime, the Herons were awarded a penalty corner. Gutch inserted the ball to the top of the arc but found the ball back at her stick shortly after. She tipped a pass across the net to a diving Jones, who finished the shot into the back of the net. After a Cardinal video challenge, the goal stood. It was the second game-winning goal of her career.

 
COACHES CORNER:
 
"What an exciting way to open the 2025 season!" said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "After falling behind early, we made some key adjustments after the first quarter and showed a lot of resilience battling back from a two-goal deficit. I was really pleased with the number of opportunities we created offensively, even against a strong performance from the Cardinals' goalkeeper. I'm proud of our team's determination and fight and we're eager to carry this momentum into Sunday."
 
UP NEXT:

William Smith will be back in action Sunday, August 31, when it welcomes Ohio Wesleyan for a nonconference matchup. Action between the Herons and the Bishops is set for noon on McCooey Field.