Box Score Box Score

GENEVA, N.Y. – Behind a three-goal effort from sophomore Taylor Capello, the William Smith College field hockey team defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 4-1, in the Liberty League Semifinals at McCooey Field.  With the win, the second-seeded Herons improve to 15-3 and will now travel to top-seeded Skidmore on Saturday. The third-seeded Engineers conclude their season with an 11-5 record.
 
Despite the loss, Rensselaer saw senior netminder Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) put forth an outstanding effort in goal as she recorded 20 saves.  Twelve of her stops came in the first half of action, while several key saves, including a phenomenal stop on a possible deflection, came in the second stanza.
 
The Herons opened up the game's scoring at 8:15 of the first stanza as rookie Sarah Tompson (Chatham, NJ/Chatham) laced one in from the left slot.  Off a corner from junior Annie Kietzman (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow), Herons forward Kierstan Hamilton (Harpursville, NY/Harpursville) was able to keep it in, crossing it over to Tompson for the 1-0 advantage.
 
Rensselaer rallied back at 11:13 as sophomore Kelsey Porter (Quechee, VT/Hartford) collected a deflection and slipped it in past junior netminder Taryn Little (Wells, VT/Granville).  It marked Porter's second of the season.
 
William Smith fired back at the 22:05 mark of the opening period as Capello (Windsor, NY/Windsor) dribbled through the middle and around several defenders for the go-ahead goal inside the right post.
 
The second half saw the Herons continue to attack as Capello grabbed the rebound of a Magaret McConnell (Louisville, KY/Louisville Collegiate School) shot and banked it in from the right post for a 3-1 advantage at 41:21.
 
It was Capello again late in the stanza who made it a three-goal lead for William Smith as she found the loose ball in a scramble in front and banged it in at 63:03 for her 15th goal of the season.
 
The Engineers tried to fight back in the final minutes as they sent several shots in at Little, but the Herons netminder came up big to seal the victory.  She finished with 12 saves in the game.
 
William Smith moves on to play Skidmore on Saturday at 1pm in Saratoga Springs for the Liberty League Championship and the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.