Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Senior Lucy Johnson scored a game-high six goals to lead the third-seeded William Smith women's lacrosse team to a 14-10 victory over second-seeded Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), this afternoon, in the Liberty League semifinals from Renwyck Field. With the win, the Herons improve to 9-8 and advance to the championship game on Saturday (3pm). The Tigers conclude their season at 10-7.
The Herons will face top-seeded Rensselaer, which defeated Union, 10-8, semifinal action earlier in the day.
William Smith built an early, 2-0 lead as seniors Rosie Scheilbel (Auburn, NY/Auburn) and Kathryn Gillan (Brookline, MA/Brookline) tallied just over a minute apart to kick-off the scoring.
After Tigers junior midfielder Shelby Vakiener (Fairport, NY/Fairport) pulled her club to within 2-1, Herons freshman Abbie West (Summit, NJ/Oak Knoll) answered scoring a goal – her 11th of the season – and assisting on another to give William Smith a 4-1 lead with 7:34 to play in the opening frame.
Valkiener netted RIT's second goal of the half to pull within 6-2, but Johnson (Short Hills, NJ/Millburn) ran off two straight for the Herons to end the half.
The two teams traded goals in the opening five minutes of the second half, as RIT freshman Marlee Vlassis (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) and Johnson each found the back of the net for their respective teams, keeping four-goal separation (7-3).
Johnson continued her scoring run in the second half, scoring the first two goals of the stanza – both from the eight-meter line – before classmate Callie Frelinghuysen (Darien, CT/Darien) netted a free-position marker of her own for a 9-3 Herons' advantage.
Valkiener slowed the William Smith run with her third of the game, but the Herons fought back, scoring four straight times, including two more from Johnson, to take their largest lead of the contest at 13-4.
With less than nine minutes to play the Tigers awoke, scoring four straight times, and wound up notching six of the game's final seven goals, but the comeback fell short, as Vlassis' tally with 31 seconds left brought RIT to within four (14-10).
Aiding Johnson offensively was Scheibel, who finished with three goals, while West ended up with two goals and an assist. Valkiener netted a team-best five goals and senior Rebecca Lampson (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy) added two goals and two helpers.
William Smith sophomore Maggie McNair (Wilmette, IL/Loyola Academy) was strong in net early on and finished with nine saves. Tigers' junior Katelyn Crane (Palmyra, NY/Palmyra-Macedon) took the loss, making 12 stops.
