GENEVA, NY – The University of Rochester men's soccer team picked up another key regional win, its fifth in a row, defeating host Hobart College 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Cozzens Field.
 
Senior Josh Cooley scored the lone goal of the match in the 32nd minute, giving Rochester is fourth straight one-goal win, with all four matches coming by 1-0 scores.  UR moves to 5-2 on the season, while Hobart drops to 6-2.
 
To open the game, Hobart had a golden chance in the third minute when Tristan Roberts broke free on a breakaway after a long pass from the defensive midfield.  Roberts outran his defender, but Rochester goalie Hugh Curran came way off his line and made a tremendous play, sliding to break up the chance before the Statesmen forward could navigate into the open field for another shot attempt.
 
Less than a minute later, Curran was forced to make another save, this one diving to his left, denying Jack Fell's left footed shot from the edge of the box.
 
Rochester's first strong scoring opportunity came in the 30th minute off a long throw in.  Rio Kehe outleaped the defense and headed a shot towards the high middle of the goal, only to see Hobart goalie Brian Salazar gather it in for the save.
 
Two minutes later Rochester found the back of the net, with Cooley recording his second goal of the year.  After a short free kick from Cristian Baltier up the left wing, Nate Leopold sent the ball into the box where it scrambled around through the defense.  Cooley chipped it off the top of his foot and saw it trickle just by Salazar and have enough momentum to get over the goal line for the 1-0 UR lead.
 

Shortly after intermission, the Yellowjackets Tony Hypsher had the second half's first good scoring chance.  A long pass from Baltier along the right side bounced up 15 yards out and Hypsher blasted a volleyed shot towards the right side of the net which was corralled by Salazar.
 
In the 67th minute, Rochester earned a free kick deep in Hobart territory after a foul, and the ensuing chance led to an Owen Carroll header at the back post which again was saved by the Hobart goalie.
 
Hobart's last solid attempt on the contest came in the 73rd minute, when Nate Cary had a shot from 10 yards off the endline in the center of the box.  The Yellowjacket defense, which was excellent all day blocking shots, ended up denying the chance before it got to Curran, and cleared it away to safety after a long Hobart possession in the offensive zone.
 
Cooley nearly scored his second of the game at 82:16, but his turn around shot from 16 yards out on the left wing sailed just high of the crossbar.
 
Rochester's defense finished off the final two minutes with excellent work in their own zone, not allowing Hobart any long possessions or shot attempts.
 
Curran finished with three saves for the shutout, while the UR backline blocked away eight other shots.  Salazar had six saves for the Statesmen.
 
UR returns to the pitch next Tuesday evening when they host St. John Fisher at 7 pm at Fauver Stadium within the Prince Athletic Complex.