The University of Rochester women's soccer team used two second half goals to earn a 2-0 victory over SUNY Cortland in the first game of the 2015 Upstate Collegiate Classic at Fauver Stadium on Saturday evening.
 
Rochester (3-1-1) reaches its second straight championship game in the tournament featuring four of New York's top women's soccer programs.  Last season, the Yellowjackets defeated Ithaca by the same 2-0 score to reach the final.  With the loss, SUNY Cortland drops to 3-3 on the year.
 
The two teams would battle to a 0-0 score at halftime, with neither team generating solid scoring chances in the first 45 minutes.  The visiting Red Dragons would hold a 4-2 edge in shots while UR would take the only corner of the opening period.
 
Cortland's Vanessa Romero was able to get a free kick shot on net in the 25th minute and in the 41st minute, Danielle Tyrrell would fire a hard shot on goal from the box, both ended up being saved by Rochester goalie Madilynne Lee.
 

UR's Laura Cowie-Haskell had the best opportunity to score for the Yellowjackets at the 41:19 mark when she blasted a shot from 25 yards out, one that ended up being saved by Red Dragon goalie Rachel Axt.
 
Five minutes into the second half, a steady rain began to fall and UR seemingly stepped up its play.
 
At 51:26, Jean Chakmakas had a shot from the box off a corner kick appear as if it was going in, but was eventually kicked away by Cortland defender Stephanie Shapiro.
 
A little over two minutes later, Rochester would grab a 1-0 lead when freshman McKenzie Runyan would head a shot into the lower left corner of the net.  Her chance was set up by a header pass in the box from Chakmakas.
 
Rochester would maintain a large percentage of possession for the next 30 minutes, but Cortland looked for the equalizer early in the 84th minute.  Tyrrell had a shot from inside the box on the right wing, but it was blocked away to safety by a UR defender, keeping the shutout intact.
 
The Yellowjackets added an insurance score in the 88th minute from Chakmakas.  The play started as a simple run up the right sideline by Megan Runyan who then sent a cross to Chakmakas who chipped the ball off the right post.  The ball ended up ricocheting off the inside of the post and over the goal line for a 2-0 UR lead.
 
Chakmakas' three points were her first three of her career while the Runyan sisters each scored for the second time this season (McKenzie-goal, Megan-assist).
 
In the goals, Lee picked up the shutout with four saves.  Axt made five stops in the loss for the Red Dragons.
 
Rochester advances to face the winner of the late match on Saturday between William Smith and Ithaca at 5:30 pm on Sunday.  The loser of that one will square off for 3rd place against SUNY Cortland at 3 pm.