Saratoga Springs, N.Y. -- William Smith used a 5-0 second-half run to break the game open and post a 15-5 Liberty League women's lacrosse win over Skidmore College, Friday at Wachenheim Field. The Herons have won four straight and six of their last seven to improve to 11-2 overall and 6-1 in league play. The Thoroughbreds fall to 6-8 and 2-5.

Down 6-2 at the half, Skidmore's Sydney Weill (Woodbridge, Conn./Hopkins) got the Thoroughbreds to within three from Lauren McCarthy (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) with 24:43 to play. William Smith responded with five straight goals, including three straight from Michaela Parnell (Guilford, Conn./Guilford). McCarthy stopped the run with a goal at 9:47 to make it 11-4, but the Herons scored four of the next five goals for the 15-5 win.

For Skidmore, McCarthy finished with two goals, an assist and three draw controls. Lauren Madden (Huntington, N.Y./Northern Highlands) had two goals and three ground balls. Amber Kinsey (Troy, N.Y./Lansingburgh) had a solid game on defense with five caused turnovers and three ground balls.

Parnell finished with five goals, while Lucy Johnson added four goals and an assist. Molly Fitzgerald contributed two goals and an assist to give her 40 goals for the season. William Smith out-shot Skidmore 31-24 and had a 32-24 edge in ground balls.

Courtney DeStefano (Rehoboth, Mass./Moses Brown) played the first 50 minutes in net for the Thoroughbreds, making 6 saves. Rachel Klein (Far Hills, N.J./Newark Acad.) had one save in the final 10 minutes. Heron goalie Becky Josefiak (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca) had 11 saves, five ground balls, and three caused turnovers.

Skidmore will close out the season on Saturday against Hamilton at 3:30, William Smith travels to Liberty League leader Union College for a 2:00 p.m. game.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.-The 14th-ranked William Smith College lacrosse team downed Skidmore 15-5 this afternoon in a Liberty League match up on Wachenheim Field. The Herons improve to 11-2 overall and 6-1 in the conference, while the Thoroughbreds fall to 6-8 on the season and 2-5 in the league.

Senior Michaela Parnell (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.) led William Smith with a career-high matching five goals, while first-year Lucy Johnson (Millburn/Short Hills, N.J.) added four goals and an assist. Junior Molly Fitzgerald (Gould Academy/Sudbury, Mass.) notched two goals and a helper as well.

The Thoroughbreds were led by Lauren McCarthy's two tallies and one assist. Lauren Madden also netted two for the hosts.

Johnson began the game with two quick goals, first on a free position shot just 2 minutes, 24 second into the action, and then off a pass from junior Brittany Callaghan (St. Luke's School/Armonk, N.Y.) 42 seconds later. Callaghan would tally herself a short time later to give the Herons a 3-0 advantage with 23:42 to play in the first half.

Madden answered at 22:36 with Skidmore's first score of the day, bringing her team within two, but two more William Smith goals from Parnell and Fitzgerald increased the visitors lead to four, 5-1. The Herons would eventually take a 6-2 lead into the break.

Sydney Weill netted the first goal of the second stanza to cut William Smith's lead to 6-3. That's as close as the Thoroughbreds would get for the remainder of the contest, as the Herons countered with five straight tallies over the next 20 minutes, including three in a row from Parnell.

With 10:18 to play, William Smith held an 11-3 lead. The Herons went on to outscore Skidmore 4-2 in the remainder of the half. Overall, they held a 31-24 advantage in shots and a 32-24 edge in ground balls, thanks to five each from senior defender Torie Allen (Governor's Academy/Dedham, Mass.) and senior goalie Becky Josefiak (West Seneca East/West Seneca, N.Y.).

Josefiak finished with 11 saves, while Thoroughbred goalies Courtney DeStefan and Rachel Klein combined for seven stops.

William Smith will be back in action tomorrow, April 25, when the Herons take on Union in Schenectady at 2:00 p.m. For live coverage options, visit the William Smith lacrosse schedule page.

2009-04-24