GENEVA, N.Y.—Senior
Ameya Moncrieffe scored a pair of goals as the William Smith soccer team defeated Emmanuel 4-0 in its season-opening victory on Cozzens Field this afternoon.
Senior
Rachel Lee and junior
Kristin Middaugh also scored for the Herons in the win. Sophomore
Sevilla Anderson and first-year
Liz Feeney combined for one save in the shutout victory.
Tegan Robie started in goal for the Saints and made 14 saves.
KEY STATS
- William Smith has won 10 straight season openers.
- The Herons finished the game with a 30-5 advantage in shots and a 9-4 edge in corner kicks.
FIRST HALF
- The Herons took control of the game right from the opening whistle, finishing the opening 45 minutes with a 14-1 advantage in shots.
- Middaugh had the game's first dangerous opportunity in the 20th minute. Her shot from the top of the 18-yard box was punched over the crossbar by Robie at the last second.
- The Herons continued to pressure in the middle portion of the frame. Junior Aleena Solano, who was transferred from Emmanuel last spring, had a chance turned aside by a diving Robie in the 27th minute.
- William Smith broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. Moncrieffe collected her own rebound in the six-yard box and slipped a shot across the goal line. It was her first collegiate goal.
SECOND HALF
- The Herons doubled their lead in the 50th minute when Lee scored off a free kick. She bent a shot from 24 yards out around the Saints' wall and into the lower left corner of the cage.
- Middaugh extended the Herons' lead to 3-0 in the 68th minute. She collected a loose ball near the penalty spot and buried a shot into the left side of the cage. First-year Grace Sudbay was awarded an assist on the goal.
- Moncrieffe rounded out the scoring in the 71st minute. She ran onto a looping pass from senior Ella Wirth and deposited the shot into the lower left corner of the goal.
- William Smith finished the second half with a 16-4 advantage in shots on goal in the second half.
COACH'S CORNER
"The first game of the season is always a learning experience and we took that to heart," Head Coach
Laura Burnett-Kurie '08 said. "We really adapted as that first half went on and especially heading into the second half. It was great to see some players have some firsts out there, and that was super fun. If we can hang on to the positives, then we have a good base under our belt."
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 4, when it heads to Lexington, Virginia, to take on seventh-ranked Washington and Lee. The game is set to begin at 5 p.m.
