Two members of the William Smith field hockey team were recognized by the Liberty League for their play last week. Junior Ana Dios Vidal was named the conference's defensive performer of the week, while classmate Mia Batchelder landed on the weekly honor roll.
The Herons went 3-0 last week, defeating Oswego State 4-0 before grabbing two crucial conference victories over the weekend. William Smith beat Union 1-0 and then No. 22 Ithaca 3-1 to move to 9-8 overall and 3-2 in the Liberty League.
Dios Vial earned her second career Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week award after a dominant week that saw her earn five points on a goal and three assists. On against the Lakers, she recorded two assists. Dios Vidal then put on a standout performance against the Garnet Chargers, locking down the midfield and playing crucial roles on both the offensive and defensive penalty corner units to earn the shutout win. In Sunday's win over the Bombers, Dios Vidal was credited with the game-winning goal and assisted on an insurance goal to secure the win.
The midfielder from Madrid, Spain, has recorded 14 points on four goals and six assists this season. Dios Vidal is tied for fifth in the Liberty League in assists per game (.353).
Batchelder landed on the Liberty League Weekly Honor Roll after recording six points on three goals last week. She scored in all three games and has recorded a goal in five of William Smith's last six games. After notching an insurance goal against Oswego, Batchelder scored the lone goal against the Garnet Chargers on Friday, converting on a diving deflection. She then scored the first goal of the game for the Herons, sparking the come-from-behind win over Ithaca.
The forward from Andover, Massachusetts, is second on the team with 19 points (8G, 3A). Batchelder is tied for the league lead in game-winning goals with four. She also ranks sixth in shots on goal (1.59), ninth in goals per game (.471) and 11th in points per game (1.12).
William Smith will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 24, when it hosts Skidmore for a conference clash. Action between the Herons and the Thoroughbreds is set for 2 p.m. on McCooey Field.
