CORTLAND, N.Y. – Two long range goals – one in each half – sparked the University of Rochester to a 2-0 victory over fourth-ranked Ithaca College in the semifinals of the Upstate Collegiate Cup at SUNY Cortland on Saturday afternoon.
The win puts Rochester into Sunday's championship match against defending Division III National Champion William Smith College. That game will begin at 1:30 pm. Ithaca plays Cortland for third place at 11 am. William Smith is among others receiving votes in the Division III poll this week.
Laura Cowie-Haskell and
Paige Gloster scored the goals for Rochester. Cowie-Haskell broke up a 0-0 tie at 16:55 when she lofted a 40-yard shot over the head of Ithaca goalkeeper Beth Coppolecchia. It was her third goal of the season.
Gloster doubled the lead at 69:59. She collected a pass from
Lee Stagg and hit a 25-yarder past Coppolechia.
Aubrey Jaicks made two saves in goal for the Yellowjackets. Coppolecchia had five saves for Ithaca. Each team took 10 shots. Ithaca had six corner kicks to one for Rochester.
Rochester improved to 3-1-1 with the win. Ithaca is 3-1. This marks the third straight weekend that Rochester is playing in a tournament. The Yellowjackets won their own Flower City Soccer Classic on Labor Day weekend with victories over Fredonia and Eastern Nazarene. Last weekend, Rochester lost to Union, then tied UMass-Boston at the Union College Classic.
