PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – University of Rochester field hockey dealt Ithaca College its first Liberty League loss of the year, topping the Bombers, 1-0, in double overtime on Friday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Both the Bombers and Yellowjackets got off to a slow start, with neither side tallying a shot in the first period.
 
Juliana Valli notched the game's first shot in the 18th minute, forcing Kara Houston to make her first of nine saves, as the Bombers started to get things going offensive.
 
Maeve Fogarty tallied UR's first shot with just under five minutes to play in the first half, before Ithaca scored their first of two penalty corners, sending three shots at the Rochester defense, all of which were blocked.
 
Jacqueline Mirabile and the Bombers added another penalty corner to start the third, one of 12 for Ithaca on the day, but Rochester's defense held firm and didn't give up a shot.
 
Fogarty added another shot in the 38th minute, sending one just wide of the mark, while Houston saved Elizabeth Pillow's 41st-minute shot to keep the two sides level heading to the fourth.
 
Rochester earned its first penalty corner nearly three minutes into the fourth quarter, but Karina Bridger's salvo was saved by Macy Brandwein, resulting in another corner.
 
The Bombers' defense though, held UR without a shot on their next two, successive corners, while Pillow, on the counter, sent back-to-back shots at Houston, but the first-year made two great saves.
 
Down the stretch, Ithaca picked up two more penalty corners, but each time UR's defense blocked the Bombers' shots, and after 60 minutes, the Yellowjackets and Bombers still stood level and headed to overtime.
 
Pillow got the first shot off in overtime, on a breakaway in front of the goal, but Houston made another tremendous save, keeping Ithaca off the scoreboard.
 
The Bombers then took three corners in just over a minute, but Rochester's defense held strong, blocking Morgan Mullen's shot before Mirabile's shot went wide.
 
Natalie Descalso added another shot in the waning minutes of the first overtime period, but Houston made another save, and the two sides headed to a second overtime period.
 
After a few minutes without a shot, Mullen found some open space and headed toward the goal without a defender in sight, but Fogarty chased her down and Houston made her seventh save to keep Ithaca from scoring.
 
Mullen then sent two more Houston's way in the 75th and 76th minute, but again Houston made a pair of saves to up her total to nine.
 
And after Rochester earned its first penalty corner of the overtime period, Fogarty sent it into Bridger, who blasted it into the back of the net to give Rochester a 1-0 victory.
 
Rochester moves to 12-4 (5-1 LL) on the season, while Ithaca drops to 12-3 (5-1 LL) with the loss.
 
Bridger notched the 'Jackets' lone goal, her fourth of the year, while Fogarty tallied the assist, her ninth. Both Bridger and Fogarty also led UR with two shots apiece, as the Yellowjackets were outshot, 18-4, but pulled out the victory.
 
In goal for Rochester, Houston made a career-high nine saves, facing 18 shots.
 
The Yellowjackets will wrap up Liberty League play in Schenectady, NY on Sunday, Oct. 23 against Union College at 2 p.m., with seeding in the Liberty League conference tournament on the line. With a win, Rochester can clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, while a loss could drop them as far as the No. 3 seed.