From University of Rochester Athletics
In a matchup of teams trying to keep the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee watching their results, the University of Rochester defeated RIT, 1-0, in a women's soccer match at Edwin Fauver Stadium on Thursday evening.
Rochester's goal was scored by Carolyn Richards in the 50th minute. The opening 45 minutes was filled with thrust-and-parry from both sides. RIT tried to use quickness to pierce the Rochester defense and the Yellowjackets relied on multiple passing combinations to find a way into the Tiger penalty area.
RIT's Danielle Losquadro had the best chance early for RIT. A cross from the right touchline found her at the top of the penalty area but she put her shot just over the crossbar in the 15th minute.
Tiger goalkeeper Alyssa Salls made a number of sound decisions to accompany her five saves. With the match almost 20 minutes old,. UR's Shayna Levy cut the ball in front of goal looking for Cesca Sheppard at the back post. Salls read it and got to the ball first.
Emma Schecter made a number of sound reads guarding the Rochester net. Shortly after the Losquadro shot over the bar, RIT's Rebecca Hext struck a ball into the center with two teammates running down the middle. Schechter came out and punched the ball away with both fists to send UR into the attack.
The best chance of the first 45 minutes came with just over a minute left. RIT earned a free kick just outside the penalty area at the juncture of the penalty arc. Lauren Chester hit a low ball past the wall but Schechter had it covered, going low to make the save and keep it 0-0 at halftime.
A bit of a scramble, all coming off a good throw-in, created the gamewinning goal five minutes after the restart. Levy threw the ball into the penalty area. Kerri Eden's shot was knocked down by a defender. In a packed box, Richards found a path to the ball and managed to guide it just over the line where it nestled in the netting for a 1-0 lead.
Salls made the save of the match in the next 10 minutes. With Rochester on the counterattack, Margaret Lee left footed a ball ticketed for inside the right post, but Salls made a sliding save and held on. A little later, she had to charge off the line to spear Sheppard's crossfield pass meant for Eden on a counter attack.
Rochester had two excellent chances to net a second goal. A long throwin from the right found Richards in the box. She touched it over to Giuliana Vasile who squibbed it past the left post. Richards hit the underside of the crossbar with 21 minutes left and the followup shot from Emily Henry was saved by Salls.
RIT's Piper Zimmerman figured into two big plays down the stretch. With three minutes to go, a UR corner kick was played to Jorie Freitagabout eight yards off the endline. She had her spot picked – just inside the right post, but Zimmerman blocked it and the defense cleared it away.
Rochester was able to each up much of the clock in the last three minutes keeping the ball in the RIT end. But in the final 45 seconds, the Tigers broke out on attack. A series of passes eventually came to the top of the area with Zimmerman racing down the left slot. With the clock just about to strike 0:00, her shot from the top of the area sailed high for the left corner.
The win gives Rochester a 7-6-1 record with three more home games left (Case Western Reserve on Oct. 26, Carnegie Mellon on Oct. 28, and Emory on November 3). The win snapped a three-game losing streak.