CLINTON, N.Y. -- Keri Messa '08 scored two goals and assisted on two others to help lead nationally ranked No. 7 Union College past No. 16 William Smith College, 10-5, in a Liberty League women's lacrosse championships semifinal at Hamilton College's Campus Road Athletic Field on May 2.

Kristin Joyce '11 scored a game-high three goals for Union (13-2 overall), which won its fifth straight game. Allie Cuozzo '10 added one goal and one assist. Caitlin Cuozzo '08 and Liz Zamore '09 picked up four ground balls each to lead the Dutchwomen. Caitlin Cuozzo also registered game-highs of four caused turnovers and five draw controls and scored a goal. Cat Ruggiero '11 made 10 saves.

Molly Fitzgerald '10 scored twice for William Smith (13-4 overall). Michaela Parnell '09 tallied one goal and one assist. Torie Allen '09 led the Herons with four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Becky Josefiak '09 made eight of her nine saves in the first half and took the loss. Morgan Baird '08 made one save in relief of Josefiak.

Union notched the only five goals of the first half. Chelsea Charette '11 scored with 22:48 remaining on a free-position shot. Caitlin Cuozzo followed with a free-position goal of her own just 15 seconds later. Messa scored off an Allie Cuozzo assist with 20:09 left, followed by back-to-back unassisted goals from Joyce to end the half. Joyce scored with 18:44 and 7:43 to play.

William Smith finally got on the board on a goal by Sarah Goodkind '10 with 24 minutes left to cut Union's lead to 5-1. The Dutchwomen responded with three straight goals from three different players to put the game away. The Herons made a late charge by scoring three goals in the final 9:30, but Union held on.

Union doubled up William Smith in shots, 32-16, and had a decided edge in draw controls, 14-3.

The second-seeded Dutchwomen will make their fifth consecutive appearance in the league title game, where they will take on top-seeded Hamilton at Campus Road Athletic Field on Saturday, May 3 at 2:00 p.m. The winner of the championship game receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

Union lost to Hamilton, 10-5, in last year's Liberty League championship game but defeated the Continentals in the 2006 final, 8-6.

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CLINTON, N.Y. - The 16th-ranked William Smith College lacrosse team fell to seventh-ranked Union College 10-5 this afternoon, in the semifinal round of the Liberty League Tournament hosted by Hamilton College. The Herons drop to 13-4 overall, while the Dutchwomen improve to 13-2 on the season.

Sophomore Molly Fitzgerald (Gould Academy/Sudbury, Mass.) led William Smith with two goals, while junior Michaela Parnell (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.) totaled a goal and an assist. Senior Rachel Stahl (C.W. Baker/Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and sophomore Sarah Goodkind (Millbrook School/Greenwich, Conn.) each added a goal.

Union was led by Kristen Joyce's three tallies, and Keri Messa's two goals and two assists. Allie Cuozzo notched a goal and a helper as well.

Spurred by a score from Chelsea Charette 7 minutes, 12 seconds into the contest, Union notched five unanswered goals to take a 5-0 lead into halftime. With 24 minutes remaining in the game, Goodkind netted the Herons' first tally of the day, assisted by Parnell, to cut the Dutchwomen's lead to 5-1. Cuozzo, Joyce, and Abbey Stohler scored three-straight for Union, increasing their team's lead to 8-1 with 17:07 left to play.

William Smith outscored Union 4-2 in the final 14 minutes, but its comeback bid up short. Fitzgerald scored twice during the run, while Parnell netted one goal. Senior Sarah Davidson (South Burlington/South Burlington, Vt.) found Stahl to record the other Heron tally.

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2008-05-02