CLEVELAND, OH - Mary Walsh has scored some very big goals late in games for the Yellowjackets this season. This time, she scored before most people were settled and because of it, Rochester will go to the national tournament.
Walsh scored 15 seconds into the match on a through ball from Kristen Leskow and the Yellowjacket defense made it stand up for a 1-0 win over Case Western Reserve University here. Rochester finished the UAA season with six wins and one tie in seven matches. The Yellowjackets won the UAA title with 19 points.
Rochester went into its season finale needing a win or a tie - or a Chicago loss at home to Washington (MO). The Maroons were three points back with one to play.
Last weekend, the Yellowjackets maintained their lead in the UAA race with wins over Emory and Carnegie Mellon at Edwin Fauver Stadium. Walsh scored with 1:57 left against Emory to give Rochester a 1-0 win. She scored the tying goal vs. CMU with less than 18 minutes to play, then struck the gamewinner with 3:30 left in the first sudden death OT period.
It is Walsh's eighth gamewinning goal of the season and her 13th goal overall. She leads Rochester in scoring with 13 goals, one assist for 27 points.
The defense produced its 14th shutout in 18 games. Rochester has conceded one goal in the last nine games and two goals in the last 14. The Yellowjackets outshot Case, 21-6. Adrianne Hulchanski made one save in the first 45 minutes and Molly Leitch had three saves in the second half. Case goalkeeper Laura Gaeta had eight saves.
Rochester is 15-1-2. Tournament pairings will be announced by the NCAA on Monday morning.
