FAUVER STADIUM – Rochester turned in a stellar defensive effort and used some timely scoring – especially in the first half – to post a 4-1 field hockey victory over Ithaca College in season opener for both teams on Thursday evening.
 
The Yellowjackets (1-0) dominated, holding the Bombers (0-1) without a shot for the first 35 minutes. For the game, Ithaca had five shots finally breaking onto the scoreboard with just over five minutes to play.
 
Jennifer Lee and Claire Dickerson scored a little more than two minutes apart early in the first half. Callie Fisher and Samantha Dow built the lead to 4-0 in the second half. The Ithaca goal came from Colleen Keegan-Twombly with Amanda Schell picking up the assist.
 
Gabrielle Cantley earned the win in goal for Rochester. She was not required to make a save in her 35-minute first half stint. Kiran Sundaram made one save in 35 minutes in the second half. Courtney Dunham made a defensive save for Rochester in the second period.
 
For Ithaca, Katie Lass made five saves in a full 70 minutes. Cassie Schuttrumpf made a defensive save.
 
The match was barely nine minutes old when Tiffany White whistled a long ball in from left wing. Lass deflected it away, but Lee was there to touch it into the center of the net. Two minutes later, Nancy Bansbach fired on goal. Lass made the save, but the rebound fell to Dickerson who shot to the corner.
 
Fisher made it 3-0 eight minutes into the second half. Lauren Sharpe carried it along the right endline and pushed it to Fisher in the center of the goalmouth. She took two strides, moved laterally away from Lass, then backhanded it into the roof of the net.
 
Sayaka Abe showed good work on the fourth goal and was rewarded with an assist. With just over 19 minutes left, she battled for a loose ball on the right endline. She passed across the face of goal and Dow swatted home her first career goal.
 
Notes: Ithaca defeated Rochester, 1-0, in Ithaca last year after the Yellowjackets started the season 5-0… This victory was UR's ninth in the last 10 games against Ithaca… Rochester heads for the University of Mary Washington this weekend. The Yellowjackets play UMW on Saturday, then take on St. Mary's (MD) College on Sunday at UMW… Ithaca goes to Cortland next Wednesday… In the pre-season poll of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, Rochester is ranked #18. UMW is ranked #12.