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Wakeman leads Herons past Yellowjackets in OT
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Neely Wakeman '03 |
October 1, 2002
GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College field hockey team made its first home night game a memorable one, defeating the University of Rochester in the second overtime, 2-1. Senior defender Neely Wakeman (Holderness School/Cohasset, Mass.) scored the game winner 2:59 into the second, sudden-death extra session.
Both teams played a listless opening period, combining for just a single shot on goal, but after the break things started getting interesting. Rochester (3-6, 0-3 UCAA) struck first, converting its very first shot on goal. Junior midfielder Shawnessy Dusseau (Moravia/Locke, N.Y.) blasted a shot that William Smith junior keeper Jessica Kulesa (Garden City/Garden City, N.Y.) got a glove on. The deflected shot arced high, but came down right in front of the cage and bounced over the goal line for a 1-0 Yellowjacket lead.
The Herons (6-4, 2-1) equalized three and a half minutes later on a penalty corner. Senior midfielder Brigid Lynch (Manhasset/Manhasset, N.Y.) set up senior forward Sheila McKevitt’s (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.) sixth goal of the season.
William Smith continued to pressure the Rochester defense throughout the second half. The Herons reached the end of regulation with 13 shots and 20 penalty corners, but just a single goal to show for it. Twice William Smith nearly avoided overtime with on-the-mark shots, but both times sophomore defender Erin Charnow (San Dieguito/Encinitas, Calif.) recorded defensive saves to preserve the tie.
In the first overtime period, Rochester junior goalie Pamela Sheffield (Longmeadow/Longmeadow, Mass.) came up huge, making four of her six saves, including two on breakaways. Kulesa also was tested in the first OT, but she proved up to the task as well, turning away both challenges.
The constant pressure finally got to the Yellowjackets in the second overtime. On William Smith’s second penalty corner of the stanza, McKevitt launched a rocket from the top of the circle. Wakeman managed to get her stick on it and redirect it into the cage to secure the victory.
On the night, William Smith outshot Rochester 24-4, and held a 29-4 advantage on penalty corners.
The 19th-ranked Herons return to action at 7 p.m., on Oct. 8, when they host the Bombers of Ithaca College.