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Herons advance to championship match with 3-0 victory
November 4, 2005
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Katie Compton scored the game-winner |
GENEVA, N.Y.—First-year midfielder Katie Compton (The Loomis Chaffee School/West Hartford, Conn.) headed in the game-winner in the 17th minute as the fifth-ranked William Smith College soccer team overpowered Hamilton College 3-0 in the semifinals of the Liberty League Tournament this morning on William Smith Field.
Senior midfielder Steph Gridley (Auburn/Auburn, N.Y.) generated the Herons’ first scoring opportunity as she ripped a shot off the crossbar and Compton headed the deflection into the lower right corner of the net.
Just four minutes later, junior midfielder Alex Rieben (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.) extended William Smith’s advantage as she headed in a corner kick from senior defender Pria Young (Council Rock/Richboro, Pa.).
The Herons’ dominated the opening 45 minutes of action, outshooting the Continentals 10-0.
After the intermission, William Smith continued to apply the offensive pressure. In the 47th minute, first-year midfielder Rayza Santiago (Webster Schroeder/Webster, N.Y.) drilled her second goal of the season past Hamilton sophomore goalkeeper Katie Plummer (Mount Saint Charles Academy/Cumberland, R.I.). Classmate Sarah Hayes (Dryden/Dryden, N.Y.) sent a through pass to Santiago just inside the top of the 18-yard box.
Junior netminder Nikki Dudley (Chittenango/Chittenango, N.Y.) made one save as she picked up her 15th shutout victory of the season, while Plummer turned away seven Heron offerings in the loss.
Top-seeded William Smith (15-0-1) will square off against No. 2 Union (16-1-2) at 1 p.m. on Nov. 5. The Dutchwomen defeated No. 3 Skidmore 3-0 in the second semifinal match. Earlier this season, the Herons and Union played to a 1-1 stalemate.
Fans unable to make the trip to Geneva can follow all the action via real time statistics on the Liberty League home page, Liberty League Tournament home page.