soccer teams

HWS News

6 November 2025 • Athletics Soccer Teams Face Off in Liberty League Semifinals

The Herons take on RIT while the Statesmen play Union. 

The William Smith Herons and Hobart Statesmen soccer teams will be in action today in the Liberty League semifinals.

The 22nd-ranked William Smith soccer team will be back in action on Friday, Nov. 7, when it welcomes Rochester Institute of Technology to Cozzens Field. The Liberty League Tournament semifinal is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
 
The Herons, who are 11-2-3 overall, are the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. William Smith went 7-1-1 in league play and earned a bye after closing out the regular season unbeaten over their last eight games.
 
The Tigers are the No. 3 seed. RIT is 9-3-6 overall after beating sixth-seeded Union 1-0 on Tuesday in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament.
 
MEDIA COVERAGE

 
ABOUT THE HERONS

  • Senior Ruth Hotaling leads the Liberty League in goals (12) and points (25).
  • Senior Julia Bragg is second on the team with eight goals and 16 points. She is fourth in the conference in goals and sixth in points.
  • Junior Grace Metzler leads the Herons with four assists.
  • Junior Antonia Goerke has played the majority of minutes in goal. She has a 0.72 GAA, an .872 save percentage and eight shutouts.

 
ABOUT THE TIGERS

  • Elena Onodera leads RIT with a team-high 16 points on seven goals and one assist.
  • Daniella Malanga has a team-high three assists.
  • Emily Sanchez has played the majority of minutes in goal for the Tigers. She is 9-2-3 with a 0.81 GAA and an .810 save percentage.

 
SERIES HISTORY

  • Friday will be the 51st meeting between the Herons and the Tigers.
  • William Smith leads the all-time series 45-1-4, including a 25-0-2 mark in Geneva.
  • On Sept. 24, the Tigers handed the Herons their lone Liberty League loss of the season, a 3-2 victory at Tiger Stadium.

 
THE REST OF THE BRACKET

  • Top-seeded Vassar will host fifth-seeded Ithaca at 1:30 p.m.
  • If the Brewers advance, the championship game will be in Poughkeepsie on Sunday, Nov. 9.
  • If Ithaca advances, either William Smith or RIT will host the title tilt.

The 16th-ranked Hobart soccer team returns to Cozzens Field to host a Liberty League semifinal this Friday, Nov. 7. The Statesmen, who are seeking their fifth Liberty League Championship, are set to face Union at 1:30 p.m.
 
Hobart finished the regular season 11-0-5 overall with a 6-0-3 mark in the Liberty League, securing the regular season title and the No. 1 seed. In their final regular season match, the Statesmen beat RPI 6-2 with six different goal scorers. Senior midfielder Quinn Phillips led the team with a goal and two assists.
 
Hobart jumped up to 16th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll following the win over RPI.
 
Union enters Friday's match with a 7-5-6 overall record. The Garnet Chargers earned the fourth seed in the Liberty League Tournament, posting a 4-1-4 mark in conference play. On Tuesday, Union and Clarkson battled to a 1-1 draw after two OT periods, sending the teams into a penalty shootout. The Garnet Chargers prevailed 5-4 in kicks, advancing for the first time since 2009.  
 
MEDIA COVERAGE

 
ABOUT THE STATESMEN

  • Hobart is 19th in the nation in GAA (0.63), 13th in winning percentage (.844) and 26th in shutout percentage (.500).
  • Hobart is led offensively by sophomore forward Brady Leitner. He has nine goals and 19 points. Leitner is 29th in the nation with four game-winning goals.
  • Senior Quinn Phillips is right behind him, recording 14 points on five goals and four assists.
  • Sophomore Griffin Coutts also has five goals. He adds three assists and is third on the team with 13 points.
  • Senior Tommy Chyzowych has played the majority of the minutes in goal. He is 9-0-4 and has a 0.62 GAA, a .795 save percentage and six shutouts. Chyzowych is 24th in the nation in GAA.  

 
ABOUT THE GARNET CHARGERS

  • Lucas Montalto and Kofi Sarfoh lead the team with six points on three goals.
  • Grant Della Roca leads the team in assists with three.
  • Jacob Perry plays most of the minutes in goal. He is 6-5-6 with a 1.00 GAA, an .815 save percentage and six shutouts.

 
SERIES HISTORY

  • Friday will be the 49th meeting between Hobart and Union.
  • The Statesmen lead the all-time series 24-17-7, including a 16-5-4 record in Geneva.
  • On Oct. 25, the teams played to a 0-0 draw in Schenectady.

 
THE REST OF THE BRACKET

  • In the other semifinal, second-seeded Skidmore will host third-seeded Vassar at 4 p.m. in Saratoga Springs, New York.
  • If the Statesmen advance, Sunday's championship match will be in Geneva.
  • If Union advances, Sunday's championship match will be either at Vassar or Skidmore.