Posted by Skidmore Athletics
SARATOGA SPRINGS — It's off to the Liberty League championship for the Skidmore College women's soccer team after a 2-0 shutout of RIT in a Liberty League semifinal, Wednesday at Wachenheim Field.
The second-seeded Thoroughbreds will travel to top-seed William Smith for Saturday's 1 p.m. championship game. The Herons beat St. Lawrence 4-0 in their semifinal.
Skidmore is 13-5, while the Tigers, playing in their first Liberty League season, end the year at 8-10.
Abby Benton '12 scored the first goal at 22:26. Kelsey Yam '13 made a long cross to Christine Bellotti '14 who passed on the shot and tapped the ball to Benton who eased it past RIT goalie Ashley Valenti.
Bellotti set-up the second goal with a long ball in the air that Yam headed home from 10 yards out for her team-high sixth goal of the season.
Thoroughbred goalie Meghan Sleezer '12 had seven saves to earn her ninth shutout of the season. It was Skidmore's 12th shutout in 18 games. Sleezer's biggest save came in the 40th minute when she stopped a Rachael Bromson breakaway. She was also tough on several RIT restarts.
Skidmore had a slight 13-11 shot advantage. The Tigers had an 8-6 edge in penalty corners.
Playing in its seventh straight Liberty League tournament, this will be Skidmore's second appearance in the Liberty League championship game. The previous time was a penalty-kick loss to William Smith after a 0-0 tie in 2008. This will also be the fifth time in six seasons the two teams have faced each other in the league tournament.