GENEVA, NY – For the second straight time in the all-time series, William Smith College edged the 24th-ranked University of Rochester field hockey team in a shootout, winning 2-1 on Wednesday evening at McCooey Field in the Liberty League conference opener for both teams.
Rochester (3-4, 0-1 Liberty League) played in its fourth overtime game in the last five contests, with three of those matchups going to shootouts.
William Smith (4-4, 1-0 Liberty League) played in its second straight overtime matchup, rebounding from a non-conference loss at SUNY Cortland on Saturday.
The Herons edged the win in the shootout, scoring three times in four attempts, while Rochester only converted on two of five tries after the teams battled to a 1-1 draw after 80 minutes of game action. William Smith's Sydney Foster scored the shootout game-winner.
During the opening quarter, Rochester took the lead early when
Maeve Fogarty connected on her team-leading fifth goal of the season. After inserting the ball on UR's second corner of the game, Fogarty went and camped in front of Heron keeper Kristen McCormick. The ball circled around to
Zoe Conomikes who nearly missed her shot attempt, but Fogarty scooped up the loose ball and flipped a backhand into the goal.
Near the end of the opening period, Conomikes nearly made it 2-0 Rochester taking a hard left wing shot that trickled through traffic on the corner. The ball was headed in, but cleared off the line by Lauren Jackson for a defensive save, keeping it a one goal game.
After a scoreless second quarter, William Smith broke through three minutes into the third quarter with the tying goal off the stick of Rebecca Mantione. After a long hit into the circle deflected off a defender, the ball sat right in the front, eight yards out, where Mantione stepped up and laced a hard ball inside the left post.
UR's
Delainey Hebble had a chance to regain the lead a couple minutes later, but her backhand shot after a Yellowjackets cross in front sailed just wide.
In the fourth, Rochester kept applying the pressure and had its most productive quarter, getting five shots off, three of which were on cage, but McCormick stopped all three, sending the game to overtime.
In the 53rd minute off a penalty corner,
Jessica Unkel had a shot blocked, with a scoop shot follow-up by
Kayla Ballas getting saved in traffic by McCormick.
With under three minutes to play, McCormick made two more saves, denying
Vivianna Arnold and
Bella Militi goals by coming well off her line and challenging the Yellowjacket attackers.
In the extra sessions, Rochester earned the only penalty corners, but could not break through for the winning goal. UR's
Kara Houston had to make a key save in the 63rd minute on Mackenzie Wodka, denying a 1-on-1 chance after the Heron attacker stole the ball just outside the UR 25-yard line.
Heading to the shootout, the Yellowjackets shot first and took the early lead when Conomikes found the cage with a backhand. Wodka converted on a tough angle shot from the right side and the score was tied 1-1 after the opening round.
After neither player scorer in the second round of the shootout, Unkel's juke and shot from the right just missed the right post, giving William Smith a chance to take the lead. The Herons did when Libby Maxwell tried a similar move, but found the goal with her shot, slipping in the ball along the right side.
Round four of the shootout saw Fogarty convert for the Yellowjackets with another backhand, pulling even at 2-2.
William Smith's Sydney Foster stepped up looking to put the hosts back in front, and was taken down by Houston on her first attempt, with officials allowing a re-do attempt. On the second chance, Foster connected with a 5-hole shot, pulling William Smith up 3-2.
Needing a goal to stay alive,
Abigal Mateer dribbled around McCormick along the right side, but saw the ball poked away by the Heron keeper, preserving William Smith's lead, clinching the victory.
Rochester returns home this Saturday for its next contest, hosting Oswego State at noon in Fauver Stadium.
