PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – After neither team could score through the first 80 minutes of the game, the University of Rochester field hockey team pulled off an upset of #9 ranked Vassar College following three straight goals in the penalty shootout, winning the game 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
First-year Elisabeth Sidorski, senior Colleen Maillie and senior Catherine Hauser each scored on their shootout attempt, while senior goalkeeper Kate Kujawa was stellar in the cage, stopping all three Vassar attempts in the third extra session as Rochester earned the victory, a key Liberty League win late in the season.
 
The win moves UR's record to 11-5 overall and 4-1 in the Liberty League, while Vassar falls to 11-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
 
Although the score was 0-0 throughout the game, there was not a shortage of chances, as both teams had some excellent opportunities to break through during regulation and overtime.  Both goalkeepers were strong though, with Kujawa making five stops for UR and Jules Smith stopping six shots for Vassar.  The Brewers Ally Aquilina-Piscitello also made a key defensive save.
 
Rochester had the first flurry of chances in the middle of the first quarter, earning four penalty corners in a minute span.  Maya Haigis had two shots in the spurt, with the second one being cleared off the line by Aquilina-Piscitello for the defensive save.
 
With five minutes left in the quarter, Vassar had back-to-back attempts off the stick of Rylie Pope denied by Kujawa after an excellent cross came in from the right side from Natalie Johnston.
 

Five minutes into the second, UR's Amanda Strenk used a great individual effort to produce a look deep in Vassar territory, but her shot slipped just wide of the right post.
 
The Brewers Avery Bauman unleashed a hard shot from 12 yards in the center of the circle in the 27th minute, but Kujawa had a clean look and kicked it away.
 
Rochester took control in the second half of regulation, outshooting Vassar 8-1.  Nikki Mercer took a tough angled backhand in the 40th minute, but Smith blocked it away to safety.  Strenk had another good look with three minutes left in the period, but her backhand from the left wing sailed just wide right again.
 
Late in regulation, Rochester earned a pair of penalty corners, but the Vassar defense and Smith in goal stood tall, keeping the game scoreless through four quarters.
 
In OT, Vassar started quick, earning a penalty corner just 17 seconds in, but Sam Plante's shot attempt on the PC was blocked.  Rochester meanwhile, was held to one shot in the first extra ten minutes.
 
The second overtime saw Rochester earned a couple of penalty corners midway through the period, but shots from Hauser and Strenk were off target.  The Brewers meanwhile attempted to get the winner in the 78th minute, but Rochester's Kujawa denied Plante again, sending the game to the shootout.
 
Pope was the first shooter for Vassar and tried to dribble around Kujawa in the cage, but the UR keeper kept her ground and was able to break up the try.  Sidorski stepped up for Rochester and despite her youth, looked calm and collected, slipping a backhand into the goal for a UR lead.
 
Vassar's second attempt off the stick of Cristina Lopez got wedged underneath Kujawa for long enough to deny the Brewers a goal.  Maillie followed for UR with a goal, dribbling around to the right side and slipping a shot past a diving Smith.
 
On her attempt, Vassar's third shooter, Stephanie Palma was able to beat Kujawa on the right side, but the shot clanged off the post and the Rochester keeper was able to recover, kicking the ball away to safety.
 
Hauser then finished off the win for Rochester, connecting on goal similar to Maillie's, sneaking her shot just inside the right post.  It was the senior's fourth game-winning goal of the year.
 
Rochester returns to action on Friday against Union for the final home game of the season, starting at 5 pm.  Vassar returns home and plays conference foe St. Lawrence on Friday as well, with the contest beginning at 4 pm.