CORTLAND, NY – Two quality sides, both nationally ranked and who reached at least the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament last season met to open the 2019 season, with host SUNY Cortland coming away with a 3-2 overtime victory over the University of Rochester on Friday evening.
 
Rochester, ranked #4 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, falls to 0-1-0 on the year, while SUNY Cortland, #11 in the preseason coaches poll, moves to 1-0-0.
 
Anthony Ruggiero scored two goals for the Red Dragons, including the game-winner on a header with just eight seconds remaining in the first overtime.
 
Nevin Nambiar opened the scoring for Cortland in the 41st minute, the only tally of the opening half.
 
Rochester battled back from down a goal on two separate occasions in this one, with first-year James Barata unleashing a hard strike from 25 yards in the center of the field to tie the game at 1-all in the 63rd minute.
 
A Ruggiero goal less than four minutes later, gave the host Red Dragons their one goal cushion back, coming on a header off of a corner kick from teammate Miguel Tunas.
 
With less than seven minutes remaining in regulation, Nate Leopold lifted a long, high free kick from roughly 40 yards out that just crept underneath the crossbar and into the net for the tying goal, eventually sending the game into overtime.
 
In the 100th minute, Ruggiero mirrored his goal from regulation, just at the other end of the pitch, for the game-winner.  He sprinted in towards the far post on a Tunas kick from the right corner and found the top left corner for the 3-2 victory.
 
Rochester's Barata and Aidan Miller each registered three shots in the contest, while Ruggiero led all players with six shots, five of which were on target.
 
In the 75th minute, UR's Tony Hypsher corralled a loose ball along the right wing and launched a winding shot which just sailed wide of the Cortland net.
 
Seven minutes later, Cortland earned a corner kick which was a dangerous one, but Rochester keeper Hugh Curran punched away the scoring chance.  Curran finished the game with four saves, while his counterpart, Braden Melveney made six stops in the Red Dragon net.
 
The Yellowjackets return to action on Sunday afternoon, hosting John Carroll University in a 1 pm matchup at the Prince Athletic Complex, the first UR home event of the season.