Poughkeepsie, NY – The Vassar College Women's Soccer team continues play in the 2024 Liberty League Women's Soccer Championship when it travels to #2 seed and #T-11 nationally William Smith for a Semifinal Round contest Friday afternoon. Live stats, video and audio will be available for those who are unable to attend the 1:30 p.m. contest in Geneva, NY.
Quick Hitters
- Vassar advanced to the semifinal round with a 2-1 home win over Clarkson on Tuesday.
- The First Round victory moved Vassar to 11-2-5 overall, giving the Brewers their most wins in a season since winning 11 times in 2019.
- Lucy Hart (Portland, ME) scored her first career goal to even the score at 1-1 in the first half.
- Gianna Panarelli (Jensen Beach, FL) scored her second straight game winning goal just over two minutes into the second half to put the Brewers in front for good in the game.
- Through play in the First Round, Vassar leads the Liberty League in total goals (47), goals per game (2.6), total points (124) and points per game (6.9).
- On the defense end, Vassar has surrendered 14 goals on the season and ranks fifth in the Liberty League in goals allowed per game (0.78).
- With Tuesday's victory, Vassar is 4-0-3 in its last seven games.
Vassar At A Glance
- With her first career goal on Tuesday, Hart became the 14th different Brewer to score a goal in 2024.
- Vassar is led by 12 goals and 27 points from First Year Alice Crowley (St. Louis, MO), who also paces the Brewers with four game winning tallies.
- Panarelli and Madison Bouggess (Swedesboro, NJ) are tied for second on the team in goals with six apiece and have totaled 13 and 12 points, respectively.
- Riley McGrath (Coronado, CA) rounds out a quartet of Brewers with double-figure points with 11 and joins Grace Romano (Florence, NJ) with four goals on the season.
- Senior Noelle Namba (San Francisco, CA) is the team leader in assists with five and has added two goals to date in 2024.
- Jessica Bowman (Larchmont, NY) has assisted on four goals to date, ranking second on the team in helpers.
- Vassar has deployed a trio of goalkeepers through 18 games, with First Year Laura Shea (Swarthmore, PA) making 12 appearances, including eight starts.
- Shea has won six games for the Brewers in goal and is working to a 0.53 goals against average and an .872 save percentage while making 34 stops. Shea enters Friday's tilt with four shutouts.
- Senior JD Reigrut (Lone Tree, CO) has won five games for the Brewers and posted an .833 save percentage and a 0.55 goals against average in nine games played.
- First Year Olivia Sandrew (San Diego, CA) has made two starts in goal for the Brewers and turned aside 14 shots.
Scouting The Herons
- William Smith enters Friday's semifinal with an 11-3-3 overall record and earned the second seed in the championship after finishing the regular season with a 6-1-2 mark against league rivals.
- The Herons are currently ranked tied for #11 nationally in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll (Oct. 29).
- Ruth Hotaling leads the team with 17 points, scoring four times while pacing the squad with nine assists.
- Lindsay Ringbloom sits atop the team leaderboard with six goals and has amassed 13 points for the Herons.
- Marjorie Plants has potted five goals and totaled 11 points to date for William Smith.
- Kaleigh Darby joins Hotaling with five goals on the season.
- In goal, Kristen Nelson has seen the bulk of action, playing 1,483:04 of a possible 1,530:00.
- Nelson is posting a 0.73 goals against average and a .778 save percentage to go along with 42 saves and seven clean sheets.
- The Herons rank third in the conference in total goals (35) and goals per game (2.06).
- William Smith sits fourth in the conference in goals allowed (12) and goals allowed per contest (0.71).
League Leaders
- Crowley ranks second in the Liberty League in both total goals and points and third in the league in game winning goals.
- Bouggess and Panarelli enter Friday tied for eighth in the conference in total goals.
- Namba currently sits in a tie for seventh-place in the conference in total assists.
- Shea will begin Friday's semifinal ranked second in the league in goals against average and third in save percentage.
- For the Herons, Hotaling sits in a tie for the league lead in total assists.
- Ringbloom is tied for eighth in total goals.
- Nelson is third in the Liberty League in total shutouts and sits fifth in goals against average and sixth in save percentage.
Regular Season Result
- For the third straight meeting, the Brewers and Herons played to a scoreless draw back on October 12 in Geneva.
- The Herons outshot Vassar 21-7 overall in the game and 8-5 in shots on goal.
- Corner kicks went to the Herons by a slim 2-1 margin.
- Shea earned the shutout, matching her career-high with seven saves.
- Nelson turned aside fie shots for William Smith.
Recent History Vs. William Smith
- Since the start of the 2000 season, Vassar and William Smith have met 29 times.
- Vassar's last win against the Herons came in a 1-0 road victory on October 20, 2018.
Recent Liberty League Championship History
- Vassar is in search of its first Liberty League crown in program history.
- 2024 marks the 10th time in the last 14 years there has been a championship contested that Vassar has qualified for the event.
- The Brewers have advanced to the Championship Final on three occasions, playing in the final in 2010, 2017, 2019.
- Friday's semifinal will mark the sixth time the Brewers and Herons will meet in the Liberty League Championship since 2010.
- Friday will mark the third semifinal meeting between the two teams.
- Vassar and William Smith have squared off in the Championship Final on three occasions, playing for the conference crown in 2010, 2017 and 2019.
What's At Stake
- Friday's winner will take on the winner of Skidmore and Ithaca on Sunday for the right to represent the Liberty League in the NCAA Tournament.
