PITTSFORD, NY – Five different players scored and senior Nikki Mercer finished with a hat track as the University of Rochester field hockey team earned a solid 7-1 victory over Nazareth College to open the 2021 season on Wednesday evening at Nazareth's Artificial Turf Stadium.
 
Mercer's hat trick was the second of her career, matching the three goals she scored against Wells back in 2019. Rochester's other goal scorers were Amanda Strenk, Vivienne Tucker, Zoe Conomikes and Lesley Leatherman.
 
Rochester (1-0) dominated the stat sheet, outshooting the Golden Flyers (0-1) 35-2, with 29 of those shots being on goal. UR also took 15 penalty corners to Nazareth's three.
 
Nazareth's goalkeeper, Amanda Chuttey, finished with 21 saves, while Mya Maloof added a defensive save. Meanwhile, Abigail Walrond and Helen Schmitter each split a half in goal for the Yellowjackets, with Walrond earning the victory.
 

In addition to the five goal scorers, five different players handed out assists throughout the course of the game. Vivianna Arnold, Karina Bridger, Kayla Ballas, Strenk and Grace Crochiere each had a helper to etch their names on the scoresheet.
 
Strenk got on the scoreboard first for Rochester, finding the cage in the ninth minute. Mercer followed with a tally three minutes later, earning the game-winning goal with her first of the game. After one quarter, the Yellowjackets held a 2-0 lead.
 
In the second, the Yellowjackets found the back of the next three times to jump ahead 5-0. Tucker scored in the 20th minute, with Conomikes added a goal five minutes later. Mercer got her second of the night at 25:39. Nazareth avoided the shutout though, with Caroline Desautels scoring in the 28th minute.
 
Single goals from Leatherman (35') and Mercer (48') in each of the second half periods completed the scoring for Rochester.
 
The Yellowjackets remain on the road to start the season, taking on Hartwick College on Saturday at 2 pm.