Nationally ranked No. 9 William Smith College scored two goals early in the second half and the Herons went on to a 2-0 win against visiting Hamilton College in the 2009 Liberty League tournament final at Cozzens Field on Nov. 7.
William Smith -- the top seed in the four-team tournament -- tallied its goals in the 51st and 61st minutes. The second goal was kicked into the Continentals' own net by a Hamilton defender.
Anne Graveley '11 had two great scoring opportunities in the first half for No. 3 seed Hamilton (9-6-1 overall). Graveley ripped a shot that hit the crossbar in the 13th minute, and then got loose for a one-on-one shot against the keeper that went just wide in the 35th minute.
Alex Rimmer '13 -- the Liberty League rookie of the year -- and Graveley finished with three shots apiece. Kate Fowler '10 made five saves. The Herons (13-3-2) held a 13-6 advantage in shots and took seven corner kicks to Hamilton's two.
William Smith captured its third tournament title in a row and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Herons have played in all eight tournament finals. William Smith's defense, which has allowed just six goals all year, posted its 14th shutout in 18 games. The Herons improved to 8-0-2 at home this season.
Graveley and Meg Pengue '13 were selected to the all-tournament team. The Continentals were making their third appearance in the league championship game, and the program's first since 2007. Hamilton is now 1-2 in the finals and 4-5-1 in seven tournament appearances. The Continentals defeated William Smith 2-1 in double overtime in the 2004 final. That game is also Hamilton's last win in the series. The Continentals entered this contest riding a four-game unbeaten streak.
