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Herons hunt down Bears, advance to NCAA semifinal round
November 14 , 2004
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Sophie Dennis scored three times to propel the Herons into the NCAA semifinals. (Photo by K. Colton/ SPORTSPICS.net) |
GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College field hockey team got five goals from five different players this afternoon on its way to a 5-2 victory over Wittenberg University in an NCAA Regional Semifinal matchup. The Herons advance to the regional final against Ursinus, who defeated University of Maine at Farmington 3-0, on Nov. 14, at 1 p.m.
Junior forward Maggie Dolan (Towson/Towson, Md.) got things started for William Smith (17-2) just 2:24 into the game when she tapped in a rebound from a Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) shot.
The Tigers answered four minutes later to tie the game at one as junior forward Julia Wickham (Columbus, Ohio) slipped her shot past Heron goalkeeper Sue Jordan (Boothbay/Boothbay, Maine). She was assisted by sophomore forward Katy Barrett (Watterson/Powell, Ohio).
It was all William Smith after that, peppering the Wittenberg goalie with 22 shots in the final 29 minutes of the half. Senior forward Lily Gillett (Wheeler School/Seekonk, Mass.) nearly made it a 2-0 game in the 17th minute, but her shot skipped past the left post.
The Herons continued to pressure the Tiger defense, firing 10 shots and earning six penalty corners over the next 10 minutes, but first-year goalkeeper Nicole Irvin (Littlestown/Gettysburg, Pa.) was up to the task. In the 27th minute, Dennis scored what proved to the game winner off a pass from senior midfielder Sarah Silverio (Radnor/Villanova, Pa.). Two minutes later sophomore midfielder Brooke Atwood (Marathon Central/Marathon, N.Y.) put William Smith up 3-1 at the break with her fourth goal of the year.
Sophomore defender Liz Saucier (Old Town/Old Town, Maine) got into the scoring column just 1:44 into the second stanza with a blast from the top of the circle for a three-goal Heron advantage.
Wittenberg got another tally from senior midfielder Blair Ufer (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) with a strike off of a penalty corner in the 61st minute. The Herons wouldn’t let it get any closer, adding a fifth goal from junior Tara Baker (Rome Free Academy/Lee Center, N.Y.) with 4:24 remaining in the game.
William Smith outshot the Tigers 33-6 for the game and held a 13-3 advantage in penalty corners. Jordan made a pair of stops for the Herons, while Irvin had a strong outing with 14 stops, including 11 in the first half.
The fifth-ranked Herons advance to the NCAA regional final for the 13th time in 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and will go up against third-ranked Ursinus, on Nov. 14, at 1 p.m., on McCooey Field.