GENEVA, N.Y. – Jenna Angstadt scored the game-winning goal in the 42nd minute to give the Lebanon Valley Field Hockey team a big 2-1 victory over William Smith College on Sunday afternoon on McCooey Field in Geneva, N.Y.
 
The Dutchmen (5-0) played a strong defensive game against the Herons (3-2) on their home turf. Mel Mercado had a great game anchoring the defense as she blocked numerous passes and shots as the hosts attempted to get the ball inside the circle. Ella Weidenhammer did the rest of the work in goal as the sophomore made big save after big save to keep the Herons off the board.
 
William Smith earned the first penalty corner of the game just over four minutes of battling up and down the field. The Dutchmen made quick work of defending the corner not allowing the ball inside the circle. The Herons won the ball back and earned another penalty corner where they were able to get a shot off. Weidenhammer came up with a big save and then the rebound attempt was blocked by Mercado. LVC capitalized on their first penalty corner of the game as Sorrel Long scored her fifth goal of the year in the seventh minute. Gracie Johnson sent the corner out to Long at the top of the circle and then Long crushed a shot inside the left post of the cage to give LVC a 1-0 lead.
 
The Herons struck back a little under a minute late as they were able to score off a penalty corner to tie the game up. WSC continued the pressure throughout the rest of the quarter but were unable to score thanks to a pair of saves by Weidenhammer and a big blocked shot by Mercado. LVC started the second quarter strong and built some momentum after five minutes with a flurry of penalty corners. Angstadt had her shot saved on the first corner and then Long's shot from the top of the circle was just kept out on the second corner. Weidenhammer had two saves the rest of the quarter including keeping a shot out of the cage in the final 10 seconds to send the game into halftime tied.
 
Shots were at a premium in the third quarter for both squads. The Herons had a shot go wide in the 34th minute and then Weidenhammer made saves in the 38th and 39th minutes. Angstadt gave the Dutchmen the lead in the 42nd minute as her shot found the back of the cage after deflecting off a stick of a defender. Claire Weidenhammer had the assist on the play as she found Angstadt open in the middle of the circle. The first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter were spent with the teams battling in the midfield.
 
The Herons put on a full-court press for the tying goal in the final five minutes earning four penalty corners and taking seven shots. Weidenhammer came up with three big saves including an athletic diving stop in the final minute. The defense blocked three shots, and the final shot went wide left. The Herons had one last chance in the closing seconds but once again Weidenhammer came up with a big play as she drove and knocked a crossing pass away and out of the circle.
 
Inside the Box

• Angstadt scored the game-winning goal for the second consecutive game. She took two shots.
• Long scored her 14th career goal and is tied for the team lead with five goals and 11 points.
• Ella Weidenhammer made a career-high 10 saves and faced 21 shots.
• Claire Weidenhammer recorded her first assist of the year on the game-winning goal.
• Johnson recorded her second assist of the year on a penalty corner.
• The Dutchmen defeated the Herons for the first time since 2021 and are 5-0 for the first time since 2014 when the squad started the year 9-0.

Up Next
LVC will head south on Wednesday to take on McDaniel College with a 6 p.m. start time at Kenneth R. Gill Stadium in Westminster, Maryland.

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