Mckenzie Haberl got back in her scoring grove and brought the St. Lawrence University field hockey team back from two separate deficits on Saturday afternoon, but the Saints fell to William Smith, 3-2, in overtime in a Liberty League contest in Geneva, New York.
"We're playing well together, our chemistry is good and people are contributing," head coach
Fran Grembowicz said. "It's just a lack of scoring. At the end of the game we had five penalty corners in a row with under two minutes to go and had chances to put the ball in the net – even had the ball on the goal line – and we just couldn't do it. Stat wise we should be winning these games."
After a scoreless first quarter, William Smith took the lead in the 19
th minute on a penalty stroke goal by Kelsey Pierce.
Just under 10 minutes later, Haberl pulled St. Lawrence even with her first of the afternoon after picking up the ball at midfield and finishing with a shot from the left side that beat William Smith goalkeeper Alexandra DeVito to make it a 1-1 game.
DeVito finished with seven saves for William Smith, while Bennett Tierney added two defensive saves.
Early in the second half, Mackenzie Wodka gave the Herons a 2-1 lead with a high shot from the right post but Haberl answered once again to even the game at 2-2 and help force the overtime with her 10
th goal of the season in the 56
th minute, assisted by
Isabel Thompson.
In the 67
th minute, Wodka snuck in behind the Saints' defense on the back side and worked the ball around St. Lawrence goalkeeper
Sydney Giacin and inside the far post to give William Smith the win, 3-2.
Giacin finished with four saves in the loss for the Saints.
Offensively, the Saints led the Herons in both total shots (17-11) and shots on goal (11-7), in addition to taking 10 penalty corners to William Smith's five on the day.
"We had chances," Grembowicz added. "I thought we had a good passing game and carried the ball well in the midfield. We also took away a lot of what they wanted to do in the midfield, but it comes down to finishing. We need to be hungry to put the ball in the net."
Records – St. Lawrence (3-9, 0-3 LL); William Smith (4-7)
Up Next – vs. Union at North Country Field at Hall-Leet Stadium on Friday, October 18 at 4 p.m.
