From University of Rochester Athletics
Playing for the third straight time in search of its 600th all-time victory in men's soccer, the University of Rochester ended with its third straight tie, this one a 1-1 duel with the University of Chicago on Saturday night at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
The Yellowjackets stand at 4-2-4 with the deadlock, 0-0-2 in the UAA. Chicago is 7-3-2 overall, 0-1-1 in the UAA.
Rochester opened the scoring in the 14th minute. The UC defense blocked a shot by Michael Cross. The ball came out of the penalty area and was sent back in, where Jeff Greblick got to it and one-timed a goal into the lower right hand corner.
The Yellowjackets hand a handful of scoring chances in the first 45 minutes. Five minutes before the goal, Cross rattled a shot off the crossbar. Twenty minutes into the match, Zachary Kanaley shot just wide of the left post from 30 yards out on right wing. Andrew Greenway was wide right on a breakaway with just over 11 minutes left in the half.
Chicago had a good chance with under 18 minutes left. On a counterattack, the ball was played over to left wing with Rochester goalkeeper Redd Brown off his line. Matthew Koh took a couple of strides forward, then shot tantalizingly close to the far (right post).
Koh was the most dangerous attacker for the Maroons although he did not figure in the equalizer. The visitors seemed to be at their most dangerous when the ball found its way to his boots.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Brenton Desai got to a ball six yards off the endline on the left side of the penalty area. He chipped it into the near side where Max Lopez headed it into the top left hand corner.
Brown finished the match with four saves and made two of them in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Ten minutes in, he stopped Lopez in the center of the crease with the attacker no more than two yards from him. With 15 minutes gone, a free kick by Jorge Bilbao hit the left post. The ball caromed back to Lopez whose followup headed was saved.
There were 21 minutes left in regulation when a misdirected pass almost turned the game in Chicago's favor. A pass from the frontrunners was played back towards the midfield ranks as defenders converged. It went too fare and Koh latched onto it, then sped towards goal. Brown came out to cut down the angle and stopped the shot.
A minute later, Rochester's counterattack nearly broke the tie. The ball eventually came to Jeff Fafinski whose right footer for the far post from left wing was blocked for a corner kick.