Box Score

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.— It's off to the Liberty League championship for the Skidmore College women's soccer team after a 2-0 shutout of RIT in a Liberty League semifinal, Wednesday at Wachenheim Field.
 
The second-seeded Thoroughbreds will travel to top-seed William Smith for Saturday's 1 p.m. championship game.  The Herons beat St. Lawrence 4-0 in their semifinal.
 
Skidmore is 13-5, while the Tigers, playing in their first Liberty League season, end the year at 8-10.
 
Abby Benton scored the first goal at 22:26.  Kelsey Yam made a long cross to Christine Bellotti who passed on the shot and tapped the ball to Benton who eased it past RIT goalie Ashley Valenti.
 
Bellotti set-up the second goal with a long ball in the air that Yam headed home from 10 yards out for her team-high sixth goal of the season.
 
Thoroughbred goalie Meghan Sleezer (Gloversville, N.Y./Gloversville) had seven saves to earn her ninth shutout of the season.  It was Skidmore's 12th shutout in 18 games.  Sleezer's biggest save came in the 40th minute when she stopped a Rachael Bromson breakaway. She was also tough on several RIT restarts.
 
Skidmore had a slight 13-11 shot advantage. The Tigers had an 8-6 edge in penalty corners.
 
Playing in its seventh straight Liberty League tournament, this will be Skidmore's second appearance in the Liberty League championship game. The previous time was a penalty-kick loss to William Smith after a 0-0 tie in 2008.   This will also be the fifth time in six seasons the two teams have faced each other in the league tournament.
 
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                          Soccer Game Summary (Final)
                      2011 Skidmore College Women's Soccer
         RIT vs Skidmore College (Nov 02, 2011 at Saratoga Springs, NY)
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 RIT (8-10) vs. Skidmore College (13-5)
 Date: Nov 02, 2011  Attendance: 185
 Weather: Clear, 53 at start
 
 Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 RIT.................  0  0 -  0
 Skidmore College....  1  1 -  2
 
 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  22:26 SKIDMORE Abby Benton (4) (Christine Bellotti;Kelsey Yam) - cross, the soft pass in front
  2.  70:07 SKIDMORE Kelsey Yam (6) (Christine Bellotti) - header from in front
 
 Shots: RIT 13, Skidmore College 11
 Saves: RIT 5 (Ashley Valenti 5), Skidmore College 7 (Meghan Sleezer 7)
 Liberty League semifinals. Skidmore advances to Saturday's
 championship game at William Smith (1 p.m.).