Box Score

GENEVA, NY (March 28, 2009) -- Despite being down 12-3 at halftime, the Vassar women's lacrosse team showed resolve against No. 18 ranked William Smith, cutting its deficiit to 13-7 midway through the second half, but couldn't hold off the Herons scoring, falling 18-9 in Liberty League play Saturday afternoon.

The loss, coming against a second straight nationally ranked team, drops Vassar to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the Liberty League. William Smith remains undefeated at 5-0, 2-0. The Brewers will return home for two Liberty League contests next Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. against Skidmore and a 2:00 p.m. game against Union on Saturday. William Smith will be back in action on April 1, when the Herons travel to 14th-ranked Cortland for a non-league game at 4:00 p.m.

Sophomore Allie Morgan (Nashua, NH/Nashua) led the Brewers with four goals and assist. Sophomore's Sarah Warner (Longhorn, PA/The Waring School) and Moe Bryne (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) each had two goals and assist.

William Smith junior Molly Fitzgerald (Gould Academy/Sudbury, Mass.) led the offense with five goals, while first-years Lucy Johnson (Millburn/Short Hills, N.J.) and Callie Frelinghuysen (Darien/Darien, Conn.) each notched two goals and two assists.

Fitzgerald opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game, off an assist from Frelinghuysen. Two minutes, 11 seconds later, Frelinghuysen set up Johnson to put the Herons up 2-0. Warner and Morgan answered for Vassar with consecutive tallies 27 seconds apart, to even the game at 2-all with 22:36 to play in the first half.

Frelinghuysen's first goal of the day at the 21:57 mark sparked William Smith to end the stanza with a 10-2 scoring run. The Herons took a comfortable 12-3 advantage into halftime.

The Brewers found life in the second half. After winning four out of 16 draw controls in the first period, Vassar came up with 10 of the 15 draw controls in the second half. This enabled the Brewers' offense to net seven goals in the final 30 minutes, including three straight from Morgan, senior Katama Martellucci (Montclare, PA/The Hill School) and Byrne, which cut their deficit to six, 13-7, with 22:54 left on the clock.

The Herons did not allow their lead to dip lower than six goals, and consecutive tallies from Frelinghuysen, senior Michaela Parnell (Guilford/Guilford, Conn.) and Fitzgerald midway through the half put the contest firmly out of reach. Parnell finished with two goals and a helper.

William Smith first-year Katherine Vesce (Cold Spring Harbor/Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) and sophomore Lexi Walston (Suffield Academy/Farmington, Conn.) both netted their first collegiate goals..

Heron senior goaltender Becky Josefiak (West Seneca East/West Seneca, N.Y.) recorded 10 saves in her fifth win of the year, while Vassar sophomore goalie Nicole Engelhardt (Longhorn, PA/The George School) collected 22 stops. William Smith out shot Vassar 51-23.

Senior Heron defender Torie Allen (The Governor's Academy/Dedham, Mass.) and Brewer junior Liz Pacheco (Dresher, PA/ Mount St. Joseph Academy) each picked up a game-high six ground balls.