University of Rochester Athletics

Sophomore Michelle Relin scored the game winning goal 2:20 into overtime to lead the #15 ranked University of Rochester field hockey team to a 2-1 Liberty League win over Vassar College on Friday afternoon.
 
Relin's backhand shot from point blank range slid over the shoulder of Vassar keeper Maggie Brelis and trickled past another Brewer defender just over the goal line for the winner.  It was her 12th goal of the season and fifth game winner of the year.
 
The win was the fifth in a row for Rochester (8-1, 2-0 Liberty League) while the Brewers drop to 4-3 and 0-1 in their first conference match.
 
Just over five minutes in, Relin nearly got the Yellowjackets on the board, hitting the post on a hard turn around shot in the circle.  Relin ended the first period with six of Rochester's seven shots.
 
Vassar fired three shots during the first half, two of which were turned away by UR keeper Madison Wagner.  The Brewers Brelis made four stops in the half keeping the game scoreless through 35 minutes.
 
At 46:30 off a penalty corner, Relin nearly put UR on the board, but her blast from the top of the circle went too high and was disallowed.
 
The no-goal seemed to light a fire under Rochester, as they controlled possession in the Brewer end of the field, shooting off five shots in the next five minutes and generating numerous other scoring chances.
 
Brelis was phenomenal in the Vassar cage, turning away four shots in the second half and four more in overtime, making 12 stops total for the contest.  Wagner was equally good in the UR net, turning aside six shots over the course of the game.  The win pushes her record on the year to a perfect 8-0.
 
The Yellowjackets would break through for the first score of the game in the 57th minute when Callie Fisher redirected a Megan Keil shot past Brelis into the cage.
 
Vassar would answer right away, getting two quick corners and two shots off just over a minute after the Rochester goal.  A third Vassar shot was then illegally cleared off the goal line resulting in a penalty stroke for senior Anna Schroeder.  Schroeder stepped up and calmly fired her shot past Wagner's stick side to even the score at 1-1.
 
The teams would trade opportunities late in the game, but neither could break through for a goal, sending the game to overtime, the first of the year for UR, the third for Vassar.
 
The two teams don't have much time to relax as their Liberty League schedules continue on Saturday with Rochester playing host to RPI while Vassar travels to William Smith.