GENEVA, N.Y. – The William Smith field hockey team bounced back with a dominant 4-0 win over Lebanon Valley to close out the 2026 William Smith Classic this afternoon. With the win, the Herons improve to 3-2 on the season, while the Flying Dutchmen suffer their first loss of the season and drop to 3-1 overall.
William Smith put on a dominant performance in the William Smith Classic finale. The Herons held an 18-7 advantage in shots in the non-conference battle, including a 12-4 edge in shots on target. William Smith earned eight penalty corners compared to the Flying Dutchmen's four. Lebanon Valley made eight saves in the loss, while William Smith made four stops.
Junior Eliza Freeland led the Herons with four points on two goals, while junior Carolie Kogut and sophomore Sophia Weene tallied two points on one goal each in the win. Junior's Mia Bolster and Mia Batchelder chipped in one point each after tallying one assist each for William Smith. Freeland, Batchelder, Kogut, senior Leah Griffith and first-year's Ashley Edmonds and Abigail Mantione all fired off two shots each in the win.
Sophomore Olivia Terranova and first-year Ryan Marsh each played 30 minutes in goal for the Herons and combined for four saves in the shutout. Terranova got the start and made three saves in the opening 30 minutes, while Marsh made one stop in the win.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- William Smith came out hot in the opening quarter, applying the early pressure and earning an early penalty corner. The Herons fired off back-to-back shots to open the contest but couldn't get past the Lebanon Valley defense.
- Just six minutes into the game, William Smith would open the scoring after Freeland dribbled down the left side of the field and cut across goal. She slotted a low shot past Ella Weidenhammer to give the Herons an early 1-0 lead.
- After the Herons continued to dominate possession in the opening quarter, the Flying Dutchmen's biggest scoring chance came with one second left in the opening quarter. Claire Weidenhammer broke through the William Smith defense and took Terranova on, but Terranova made a huge stop to keep Lebanon Valley off the board.
- The Herons would double their lead in the 25th minute after a driving Batchelder found an open Freeland in front of net. Freeland tapped a shot into the goal for her second of the day and fourth of the season.
- Just over two minutes later, William Smith would strike again to make it 3-0 before halftime. After being awarded a penalty corner, Bolster found the ball at the top of the arc. She fired off a shot that was deflected into the net by Weene. It was her first collegiate goal as a Heron.
- After an hour-long weather delay to open the second half, William Smith continued to apply the pressure and outshot the Flying Dutchmen 5-2, while also earning four penalty corners compared to Lebanon Valley's one.
- William Smith nearly made it 4-0 in the 37th minute after a Kogut shot was saved off the line by Danika Setlock. The Flying Dutchmen stayed strong for the remainder of the third and kept the Herons off the board heading into the final quarter.
- Just 39 seconds into the final quarter, the Herons would score their fourth goal of the game after earning another penalty corner. Bolster's initial shot was blocked by a Lebanon Valley defender but the rebound fell right to Kogut who fired off a shot to make it 4-0.
- The remainder of the fourth quarter saw the two sides trade possession with little offensive threat from either side. Both William Smith and Lebanon Valley fired off one more shot in the contest, but both were stopped, resulting in a 4-0 win for the Herons.
COACHES CORNER:
"Saturday's game made this group of Herons sharper, tougher and hungrier," said Head Coach Sophie Riskie '07. "I challenged the team to let that fuel us for today. Today was about turning that fight, discipline and energy into a complete performance from the very first whistle and we did that. We completely dominated possession, supported the ball and created many options for each other. We maintained composure and finished in the attack circle and defended as an entire team. I'm proud of the group for bouncing back from a heartbreaking loss on Saturday to a totally dominant game today."
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action Wednesday, Sept. 16, when it hosts Nazareth for a midweek non-conference matchup. Action between the Herons and the Golden Flyers is set for 7 p.m. on McCooey Field.
