PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester field hockey team dropped a hard four matchup with visiting SUNY Cortland, falling 2-1 on Wednesday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
The Rochester home opener was very balanced on the stat sheet between the teams, with Cortland (3-0) edging out the Yellowjackets (2-1) in shots 11-10. UR held the advantage in penalty corners eight to six, while also recording eight saves to Cortland's five.
 
UR earned the first good scoring chance of the game in the tenth minute. Amanda Strenk, UR's goal scorer later in the game, unleashed a hard backhand from the center of the circle after a terrific cross pass from Susan Bansbach. The attempt was kicked away by Cortland keeper Megan McGuinness who finished with four stops.
 
Late in the first, the Red Dragons took the 1-0 lead after a goal from Lily Fox. The play started outside the circle on the right wing with Keirra Ettere dumping the pass into the scoring area. After the ball found Fox's stick, she slipped it past UR keeper Abigail Walrond's pad from about 12 yards.
 
The second quarter only featured one solid chance for either side. Rochester's Jessica Unkel sent a cross after a penalty corner to the left post where inserter Juney Lee was waiting for the tap in, but the two just missed the connection and the score remained 1-0 heading into halftime.
 
In the 37th minute, Lee provided a scoring opportunity for UR with some fancy stick handling inside the circle on the right side. She followed it with a strong cross to the cage, but nobody was on the receiving end and the Cortland defense swept the ball away.
 
Playing with a woman-advantage thanks to a Rochester yellow card, Cortland boosted its lead to 2-0 late in the third. The goal in the 42nd minute came off a penalty corner blast from Ettere at the top of the circle off a pass from Fox, as the two swapped roles from their earlier goal. It was Ettere's team leading sixth goal of the season.
 
In the waning seconds of the period, Cortland nearly got another goal thanks to a slip pass from Alanie Genter which freed up Hanna Corrigan deep in the scoring area, but Walrond came off the line and broke up the play before a shot could be taken.
 
Rochester connected for its goal less than three minutes into the final quarter. Strenk found the cage with a five yard backhand shot off a cross pass from teammate Nikki Mercer.
 
Less than two minutes later, a drive to the net from Julia McDonough led to a scramble in front for Rochester. Mercer got a stick on it at the left post, but the ball was saved away by a strong defensive effort from Cortland's Elizabeth Pratt, earning a defensive save.
 
In the 54th minute, Cortland had two excellent shot attempts saved away by Walrond. The first was by Madison Becker and the second was a tip shot by Fox. Walrond finished with a career-high eight saves for the Yellowjackets.
 
Rochester was able to earn a final penalty corner in the last minute of regulation, but the shot attempt on the ensuing play was ruled high by the official and turned possession back to the Red Dragons who were able to run out the clock.
 
UR returns to action on Saturday with a road contest at Oneonta starting at 3 pm.