Christi Bottcher scored off a penalty corner 4:09 into overtime to give the Yellowjacket field hockey team a 2-1 victory over SUNY Geneseo at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
Bottcher scored both Yellowjacket goals - and both the same way: off penalty corners from Erica Gelb. All three goals in the game came from penalty corners.
Geneseo's goal, which set up the overtime, came with 8:23 left in the match. Sarah Doster scored with Michelle Milkovich and Jean Nolan assisting.
Rochester goaltender Rachel Cahan made two saves in the overtime period, stopping Lauren McCauley and Milkovich. The Yellowjackets rushed downfield in the six-on-six format and Bottcher earned a penalty corner after her long pass from outside the right arc of the circle was deflected by the Knight defense.
Gelb played the ball to Bottcher at the top of the circle and she wristed a shot to the low right hand corner past Geneseo goaltender Emily O'Leary at 74:09.
O'Leary was put under steady pressure by the Yellowjackets in the first half and she responded brilliantly, making nine saves on 12 shots and seeing the Knight defense block two others. Geneseo did not get a shot at Rochester's cage in the first 35 minutes.
In the second period, the Knights dominated. They created a number of chances but couldn't get the crucial opening to score. Rochester's first serious rush upfield in the second half resulted in a penalty corner and the game's first goal.
Gelb played the ball to Bottcher at the left side of the arc and she whistled one past O'Leary into the lower left hand corner at 53:18.
Geneseo answered eight minutes later. Nolan hit the corner to Milkovich a step outside the circle. She cut inside and delivered a pass to Doster six yards off the line. Doster flipped it past Cahan at 61:37 to equalize.
Each team produced a defensive save in the closing minutes to keep it at 1-1. With seven minutes left, O'Leary knocked down a shot by Amanda Case and Allison Stromberg deflected a followup by Lara Bucarey.
Cahan's first save of the match possibly won the game for the Yellowjackets. With just over 5:00 left, Milkovich drove the right endline and played the ball to Nolan stationed just outside the right post. She pivoted and tried to flip it past Cahan, but the senior goaltender kicked it far over the sideline to preserve the tie.
With 3:30 left. Cahan saved another shot by Nolan and Maeghan Kirsch had the DS on a followup.
O'Leary finished with 10 saves for the Knights (4-9). Cahan had three saves for Rochester (6-5). The Yellowjackets will host Oswego on Saturday at 1 pm.
