The University of Rochester field hockey team showed no jitters in its first ever NCAA tournament appearance en route to a 2-0 victory over #12 ranked Rowan University on Wednesday afternoon in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament.
 
Rochester (17-5) got goals from freshman Michelle Relin and junior Megan Keil to advance to regionals in Salisbury, Maryland on Saturday.  Rowan (15-7) falls in the first round in their first tournament appearance since 2009.
 
“We had energy, excitement and confidence” said Head Coach Wendy Andreatta about her team as UR outshot the Profs 19-10.  After a modest start for Rochester which saw Rowan get off one hard shot and a penalty corner, the Yellowjackets were able to settle in and play their style of game and control the game for the next 15 minutes.
 
UR was able to get on the board first at 14:05 when senior Shelby Hall made a great cross pass that found the stick of Relin who was there to tap in the goal in between the Rowan keeper Jen Goldberg and the far post.
 
Six minutes later, Keil made it 2-0 on a very similar play to the earlier goal.  This time it was Relin who set the play up with a cross pass to the right wing.  Keil fired it on net and the ball found the back of the net after deflecting off a Prof defenders foot.
 
After the second UR goal, Rowan took a timeout at 21:14 and took control of the rest of the half, earning four shots and six penalty corners.  The home Yellowjackets could only muster one shot wide during that span.
 
In the second half, Rochester kept the pressure on and that in turn led to some stifiling defense from the Yellowjackets as well.  Senior defender Sarah Dixon said “Getting a lead makes the defense work harder, and we can then generate that into scoring chances for our forwards.”
 
And did that defense work hard in the second half, holding Rowan to just three shots on net and five total.  “Our senior defenders [Dixon and Alexa Freedman] are a brick wall back there” said Andreatta who also gave credit to freshman back Kathryn Montgomery and Keil for scoring from a defenders position.
 
“We just didn't get any shots on goal, especially in the second half,” said Rowan Head Coach Penny Kempf. “Rochester had a game plan and it worked for them, they played a good game and we didn't.”
 
One of UR's key tactics during the game were lift balls from team captain Katie Flaschner.  Said Flaschner “The lift ball relieves a lot of pressure on the defense, it gives the team space.”
 
With 3:30 remaining in the game, Rowan tried to mount a charge, but back-to-back opportunities for Jenna O'Sullivan and Emily Bucher were stopped by a diving Madison Wagner, Rochester's goalkeeper. 
 
Wagner made five saves on the game for her fourth solo shutout on the season while Goldberg stopped 10 shots for the Profs.
 
“My palms were definitely sweating,” said Dixon regarding her and the Yellowjackets first NCAA game, but her teammate Flaschner had the right attitude in saying “We are here for a reason, and we know it.”
 
“The team was focused on the prize,” said Andreatta, in this case that prize is a second round trip to Salisbury where the Yellowjackets will next take on the #4 ranked Sea Gulls in the round of 16.  That game is set to start at 11 am on Saturday.