Jesse McKenna tallied six points for the Herons. (Photo by Kevin Colton)

March 21, 2007

GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College lacrosse team netted 10 unanswered goals in the second half to defeat the visitors from Vassar College 16-10 in the first Liberty League game of the season for both teams this afternoon. The Herons improve to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Brewers drop to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Junior Jesse McKenna (Middlesex School/Wenham, Mass.) led William Smith with two goals and four assists, while sophomore Michaela Parnell (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.) totaled four goals, and first-year Sarah Goodkind (Millbrook School/Riverside, Conn.) added three. Junior Rachel Stahl (Charles W. Baker/Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and sophomore Nina Sperry (Daniel Hand/Madison, Conn.) each tallied two goals and two assists for the Herons as well.

Leading the Brewers was senior Ali Fantl (Hall/West Hartford, Conn.) with four goals and two helpers. Sophomore Katama Martellucci (Hill School/Montclare, Pa.) and junior Christine Castellan (Penncrest/Media, Pa.) both tallied twice.

Vassar controlled the majority of the first half. The Brewers scored three quick goals to open the game, and kept the pressure on for the remainder of the half by adding six more goals before the break.

Goodkind put the Herons on the board at 6:19, with help from Dillon, but the Brewers answered with two goals of their own in the ninth minute of play, courtesy of Martellucci and Castellan.

Sperry sparked a three-goal run for William Smith at 15:54 in the first half when she found McKenna for back-to-back goals, and added one of her own, cutting the Herons’ deficit to one, 6-5.

The visitors found the back of the net three more times at the end of the period, and took a 9-6 lead into the break.

William Smith came out firing in the second half, out shooting the Brewers 22-6 and out scoring them 10-1. Stahl and McKenna teamed up for the Herons’ first two goals of the period, igniting the second-half run.

Sophomore goalkeeper Becky Josefiak (West Seneca East/West Seneca, N.Y.) turned back seven of the 12 shots she faced for the hosts, while junior Ariel Nelson (Harborfields/Greenlawn, N.Y.) collected 15 saves for the Brewers.

The 16th-ranked Herons will be in action again on March 23 when they host Rensselaer for a conference game at 4 p.m.

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