Statesmen and Herons play for league titles
5 May 2017 Statesmen and Herons play for league titles
The Hobart and William Smith lacrosse teams will play on Saturday, May 6 in their respective conference championship games on Boswell Field. The Statesmen will open the Championship on Saturday, taking on Bryant University at noon. The Herons will follow at 4 p.m. against either Skidmore or St. Lawrence.
Hobart (9-6) won its fifth consecutive game, defeating Sacred Heart University 15-9 in Thursdays Northeast Conference semifinals. Chris Aslanian 19 led the offense with four goals and Jackson Brown 17 keyed the defense with 14 saves, including 10 in the first half. After the teams traded goals to start the game, the Statesmen fired home six straight goals to take control. The Pioneers cut their deficit to four by halftime, but Hobart scored seven of the first eight goals of the second half to dash SHUs hopes of an upset.
The Statesmen are the defending NEC Champions and aim to be the leagues first No. 1 seed to win the title since 2013.
The NEC Championship game will be simulcast for free on ESPN3 (www.espn.com/watch) and NEC Front Row (www.NECFrontRow.com). Admission to the Statesmens game is $8, $4 for children under 10-18; and free for children 10 and under.
William Smith booked a return trip to the Liberty League Championship game with a dominating 13-4 victory over the University of Rochester. It was the Herons 17th win of the season, breaking the program record that was shared by the 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003 and 2004 teams. The win was also William Smiths 14th in a row, two shy of the record shared by the 1994 and 1995 teams.
Goalie Sarah Honan 17 was on fire early, stopping the first seven shots she faced, including four saves on free position shots. She finished the day with 12 saves. Alexandra Bird 17 scored a game-high four goals and Ali Flaherty 17 and Ali Burns 18 each finished with a hat trick. The Herons left no doubt in this one, scoring the first seven goals of the day.
Fans can watch the defending Liberty League Champions online for free on HWS All-Access. Admission to the game is free.