TROY, N.Y. – Eight student-athletes had multiple points and the William Smith College women's lacrosse team had five-goal runs in both halves as the No. 17 Herons defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 17-7 in a Liberty League contest at Renwyck Field.
 
The victory is the third in a row for William Smith, which improves to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. RPI falls for the first time this season, dropping to 4-1 and 1-1.
 
Sophomore Ellie Burns scored two goals with three helpers and Payton McMahon had three goals and an assist to lead the visitors. Rachel Yackel added three goals and Rachel Slagle scored twice with an assist. Kelsey Williams had seven draw controls to go with a goal and an assist.
 
Senior Michelle Bolger scored three times for Rensselaer, which got two goals and an assist from classmate Abbey Salvon. Lauren Guiry registered a goal and an assist and Shannon Amarello picked up a team-high six ground balls.
 
The Engineers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals less than a minute apart with Bolger scoring the first at 23:18 of the first half and Salvon tallying – and picking up her second point – 1:08 later. William Smith rattled off three of its own by three different players before Salvon tied the score at 3-3 with 9:45 to go in the opening frame.
 
The visiting Herons took control with five straight goals between the 7:54 and 3:46 marks. Williams started the streak and Slagle added to it with a free position goal 36 seconds later. Nicki Santora (6:11), Yackel (4:55) and Slagle again (3:46) put William Smith in front 8-3. The goal was Santora's second of the game and Williams set up Slagle's second.
 
RPI's Nora Molino countered at 3:18 and Lauren Guiry got it to within three goals, 8-5, at halftime.
 
William Smith held a 13-8 edge in shots and an 11-8 advantage in ground balls in the first half. Rensselaer won 7 of 13 draw controls.
 
Bolger's second of the game pulled the Engineers to within 8-6 at 29:11, but the Herons again scored five straight for a 13-6 lead with 18:57 left in the second. McMahon had the first two goals as well as the fifth, Yackel had the third and Delia Lawver scored the fourth on a free position.
 
Bolger notched her third at 14:49, but the Herons scored the final four goals, including the last three on free position shots, for the final margin.
 
Jules Kennedy finished with seven saves to earn the win for William Smith, which won 11 of 12 draw controls in the second half. Aleena Milinski and Maya Manchester combined to stop 11 shots for Rensselaer. The Engineers finished with an 18-17 edge in ground ball pickups.
 
RPI is back in action on Saturday afternoon when it hosts the University of Rochester at 2pm on Renwyck Field. The Herons play at Union College on Saturday at 2pm.