SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College women's lacrosse team can secure home-field advantage for the Libery League playoffs with two wins in its final two games. The Thoroughbreds go on the road to take on William Smith before facing Liberty League-leader Union.
Skidmore (11-3, 6-1 Liberty League) vs. William Smith (6-8, 4-3 Liberty League)Game Details: Friday, April 24 – 4 p.m. | Geneva, N.Y.
Game Links: Live Stats | Watch | Listen SCOUTING THE THOROUGHBREDS (11-3, 6-1 Liberty League): Skidmore clinched its first Liberty League postseason appearance with wins against RIT and Rochester over the weekend. Sophomore midfielder
Tyler Phillips tallied four goals against RIT, including three-straight in the first half and added a season-high eight draw controls. She also had a pair of goals against Rochester.
Emma Harris extended her goal streak to 10 games with a tally against the Tigers and two against the Yellowjackets. Senior captain
Brittney Dioneda produced her best performance of the season, producing four points on three goals and an assist. The Thoroughbreds have won six-straight conference games.
Phillips leads the league with 43 goals and ranks fourth with 53 points and is currently on a 21-game point streak dating back to last season.
Skidmore has controlled the first half this season, outscoring its opponents 87-54. The Thoroughbreds league the conference with a 8.19 goals against average and goalkeeper
Megan Kolopsky is third in the league with an 8.39 goals against average.
SCOUTING THE HERONS (6-8, 4-3 Liberty League): William Smith stayed in the playoff hunt with two league wins over the weekend. Sophomore Alexandra Bird had four goals in a 10-6 win at Clarkson and added six points on five goals and an assist in an 11-10 road win against St. Lawrence. Goalkeeper Sarah Honan made a career-high 17 saves in Friday's win. Freshman Melissa Moore was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week after recording four goals, five ground balls, three draw controls and two caused turnovers in the two wins.
It has been a tale of two halves for the Herons this season. William Smith has outscored its opponents 86-67 in the first half, but has been outscored 77-58 in the second.
Bird is tied for second in the conference with 40 goals and has scored in all 14 games this season. Honan averages a conference-high 9.31 saves per game holds the second-best save percentage in the league (.494). She is fifth in the conference in ground balls per game (2.46).
LAST MEETING: April 5, 2014 at Skidmore
Skidmore 5, William Smith 10
Women's lacrosse topped by William Smith
vs. Union (9-3, 7-0 Liberty League)Game Details: Saturday, April 25 – 3 p.m. | Schenectady, N.Y.
Game Links: Live Stats | Watch SCOUTING THE DUTCHWOMEN (9-3, 7-0 Liberty League): Union remained unbeaten in Liberty League play with weekend wins at Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Senior attacker Ciara Dudeck had four goals in a 10-9 win over the Saints, while senior netminder Kim Grinhaus made a season-high 15 saves. Dudeck added a hat trick in a 13-6 win against the Golden Knights. Senior midfielder Emily McGrail netted four goals and Maggie Comiskey had five points on a goal and four assists.
Union is 7-1 in its last eight games, with its lone loss coming against #3 Middlebury. The Dutchwomen have beat their opponents by an average of 3.9 goals. They average a league-high 12.5 goals, 6.25 assists per game and 12.08 draw controls per game and rank second in caused turnovers per game (10.17).
McGrail leads the conference in goals per game (3.08) and has scored at least two goals in every game this season. Comiskey is sixth in Division III in assists per game (3.0), while her 36 assists place her 18th in the country. She has recorded three or more assists in nine of 12 games and had a season-high seven assists against William Smith. She is second in the league with 53 points and 4.42 points per game. Grimhaus is third in the conference with a .485 save percentage.
LAST MEETING: April 4, 2014 at Skidmore
Skidmore 9, Union 12
Women's lacrosse held off by Union
NEXT UP:The weekend will determine Skidmore's seeding in the Liberty League tournament. The Thoroughbreds can clinch the top seed with two wins. The top-seeded team will host the semifinals and championship games May 1-2.
