ROCHESTER, N.Y. –The fifth-seeded William Smith field hockey team closed out the 2026 season with a 3-0 loss to fourth-seeded Rochester this evening in a Liberty League Tournament first-round matchup at Edwin Fauver Stadium. With the result, the Herons closed out the season with a 9-11 record, while the Yellowjackets improved to 13-6 and advanced to the semifinals against top-seeded RPI on Friday.
The postseason matchup saw Rochester hold an 8-7 advantage in shots over William Smith, including a 6-3 edge in shots on target. Both the Herons and Yellowjackets earned four penalty corners each and recorded three saves each conference battle.
Junior Mia Batchelder led William Smith with three shots this evening, while first-year Abigail Mantione followed with two, landing one on target. Senior Ava Vecchione and junior Eliza Freeland also added one shot each in the loss, combining for two shots on target. Sophomore Olivia Terranova played all 60 minutes in goal for the Herons and made three saves in the loss. Terranova finished the season with a 9-8 overall record.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- William Smith grabbed the early momentum in the thrilling conference matchup, firing off the first two shots of the game and applying the early pressure. The Herons' first chance of the game came in the fourth minute after earning a penalty corner. Batchelder received the ball at the top of the circle and fired off a shot, but it was blocked by a Rochester defender to keep William Smith off the board.
- The Herons continued to apply pressure early in the second quarter, earning another penalty corner that resulted in a Vecchione shot but Riley Leeser made the save to keep it a scoreless game.
- The Yellowjackets broke through at the 19:51 mark after earning their first penalty corner of the game. The ball was inserted to Hannah Mehta at the top of the circle. Mehta slipped a pass to Kristina Fedorova who one timed a pass back to Mehta. Mehta took one touch and ripped a shot past Terranova to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
- The two sides would trade possession for the remainder of the first half with William Smith recording two shots in the final 10 minutes compared to Rochester's one. Mantione nearly evened the score in the 24th minute but her shot was stopped by Leeser to keep the 1-0 lead heading into half.
- The Yellowjackets came out strong to open the second half, earning back-to-back penalty corners to start the half. Rochester doubled its lead in the 38th minute after Mehta scored her second of the game. Mehta found the ball at her stick at the top of the circle. She slipped between two defenders and ripped a shot to the top corner, beating Terranova and giving the Yellowjackets a 2-0 lead.
- Rochester added an insurance goal two minutes into the final quarter after being awarded a penalty corner. Mehta received the ball at the top of the circle and fired off a shot that was deflected by Grayson Honig into the Heron goal, making it a 3-0 game.
- The back-and-forth battle continued for the final 13 minutes of the game as Rochester and William Smith fired off two more shots each. The Herons tried to push down the stretch, finding late shots from Batchelder and Mantione but they couldn't break through the Rochester backline. The Yellowjackets would close out the first round matchup on top, 3-0, advancing to Friday's semifinal round at RPI.
COACHES CORNER:
"While this was not how we envisioned our season ending, we played a very good game." Said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "We came out strong in the first half and held possession in our attack for much of the half. We played an even match statistically, but Rochester finished their scoring opportunities with powerful shots. I'm proud of our team for today's performance regardless of the outcome and for how we battled all season. We faced adversity and rose to every challenge throughout the season. I am thankful for our leadership and the contribution of our 4 seniors. They helped to make this season special."
CLASS OF 2026
William Smith's class of 2026 finished their careers with an overall record of 44-41. Elle Oberfield, Leah Griffith, Kylee Knuschke and Ava Vecchione helped capture the program's 13th Liberty League Championship in 2023, returning to the NCAA tournament for the 24th time in program history.
