PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester field hockey team picked up a hard-fought Liberty League win, fending off Union College by a 4-3 score, winning in overtime on a goal from senior co-captain Amanda Strenk on Saturday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Strenk notched her conference leading 17th goal of the season in the final minute of the first overtime, sending Rochester (9-3) to its second win in conference play this season, moving to 2-1 in the Liberty League.
 
Rochester's other goals came from Vivianna Arnold, Strenk and Nikki Mercer, while Mara Heppard and Vivienne Tucker each recorded assists in the win.
 
Union (5-6, 1-2 Liberty League), got a terrific performance from Penfield native Heather Poisson in goal, as she made eight saves, many of which were point blank chances on Rochester attackers. Isabel Lubin also helped out her keeper, making two defensive saves for the Dutchwomen. Union got two goals from Emily Dawson and one from Caroline Werner to force the extra period.
 
Defensively for UR, Abigail Walrond made five saves in the net, while Kayla Ballas added a defensive save for the Yellowjackets.
 
Arnold got the scoring started at the three-minute mark for Rochester. She was able to corral a loose rebound after a Juney Lee shot and slip it into the net for an early 1-0 lead.
 

At 6:37 of the first quarter, Strenk recorded her first of the game to make it 2-0 UR, blasting in a hard top of the circle shot on a penalty corner pass from Heppard.
 
Union trimmed the lead to one two minutes later after Werner found the cage from six yards out after a PC pass from teammate Jill Bove.
 
The Dutchwomen nearly evened the score in the final minute of the period, but a shot from Dawson was cleared off the line by Ballas for the defensive save. Dawson's shot came after a Grace Krebs attempt on the corner was blocked over to the post where Dawson chipped the shot up and over Walrond's pads.
 
Neither team was able to score in the second, as both keepers made multiple strong plays between the pipes.
 
Walrond made back-to-back saves in the 18th minute, stopping Werner and Dawson, while Strenk and Delainey Hebble had shots in close turned away by Poisson.
 
Rochester boosted its lead to 3-1 shortly after intermission with Mercer getting her eighth goal of the year. She was able to backhand tap a bouncing pass from Tucker just to the right of Poisson in goal, slipping the ball inside the post from six yards out.
 
Union's Dawson scored at 40:10 to make it 3-2 after camping out at the right post after inserting a penalty corner. The ball eventually made it around to Grace Goddard who sent the cross to the post where Dawson was waiting for the tap in.
 
In the fourth, it was nearly the same goal, except from the other side as Dawson tied the game in the 50th minute, camping out down at the left post for a tip in. This time the score did not come on a penalty corner, and Sophie Ruhl was the one who sent the hard cross in front of the goal mouth.
 
With just over five minutes to play, Mercer had another shot slip past Poisson on a penalty corner, but Lubin was in good position defensively, sweeping the ball out to safety and keeping the game tied.
 
The 7-on-7 overtime period was a UR onslaught offensively, as the Yellowjackets took seven shots and four corners, while Union was held without any in the extra session.
 
Strenk had a golden opportunity slip just wide of the goal in the 65th minute, was saved by Poisson a few minutes later and had another shot blocked soon after.
 
In the 70th minute, the UR senior broke the tie and gave her team the win. She received a long pass from the defensive zone at midfield, took a long run at the Union defense, dribbled the ball between the legs of the defender and slid her shot from nine yards to the right of a diving goalkeeper for the game-winner.