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No. 9 Herons win 9th in a row
October 3, 2006
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Sophie Dennis |
GENEVA, N.Y.—The ninth-ranked William Smith field hockey team earned its ninth consecutive win, dispatching Ithaca College 5-3 in a non-conference match this afternoon on McCooey Field. The Herons snapped a 1-1 tie with four consecutive goals to break open the contest.
William Smith senior Sophie Dennis (Dana L. West/Port Byron, N.Y.) posted her ninth career hat trick to lead all scorers, while senior Bryce Meck (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg, Pa.) paced the Bombers with two goals and an assist. The Herons outshot Ithaca 35-6 and boasted a 20-5 advantage on penalty corners.
Dennis needed just five minutes to stake William Smith (9-1) to a 1-0 lead thanks to an assist by senior Brooke Atwood (Marathon/Marathon, N.Y.). Fourteen minutes later, the Bombers (4-6) got their only shot of the first half on a penalty corner. Meck made sure the effort counted, scoring on a drive from the top of the circle, assisted by senior Melanie McKaney (Rocky Point/Sound Beach, N.Y.).
The stalemate lasted just six minutes. Dennis put the Herons in front for good, finishing a flurry of shots for her 17th goal of the season. Senior Ashley Barker (Cape Elizabeth/Cape Elizabeth, Maine) sent William Smith into halftime with a 3-1 lead, tipping a shot by senior Liz Saucier (Old Town/Old Town, Maine) past the keeper.
After the intermission, junior Brittney Paye (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.) and Dennis scored in the 41st and 45th minutes, respectively, to raise the advantage to four. Meck notched her fourth goal of the year on a penalty corner in the 48th minute and then set up junior Leslie Robinson (Ocean City/Ocean City, N.J.) on another corner in the 54th minute to close the scoring.
In goal, senior Andrea Baraiola (Mark. T. Sheehan/Wallingford, Conn.) recorded a season-high 17 saves, while William Smith sophomore Katie DeKraker (Staples/Westport, Conn.) made one save.
The Herons are back in action at 4 p.m. on Oct. 6, when they make their first road trip in nearly a month. William Smith will visit Rensselaer for a Liberty League match.