ATLANTA, GA – University of Rochester women's soccer rallied back from a 2-0 deficit but fell to the 18th-ranked Emory University Eagles, 3-2, in their regular season finale on Saturday at the Woodruff PE Center.
 
Riya Kunderan notched the first shot of the game for the Yellowjackets, setting up a corner as her 5th—minute shot was blocked. But Rochester wasn't able to capitalize, and just over 10 minutes later, the Eagles broke the seal to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Off an Eagles' throw-in, Kylie Hall sent a cross into the box for Riley Brackin, who put it past the keeper, Grace Kuropatkin, to give Emory an early lead.
 
Robin de Jong earned Rochester a corner in the 29th minute, leading to a potential opportunity, but a pair of shots by Sam Hawkins and Sarah Martin were sent wide.
 
While on the other end, Brackin fired a dangerous shot just wide, and shots by Mia Han and Grace Reyer were blocked, setting up a pair of Emory corners that UR's defense kept out of the back of the net.
 
The Yellowjackets went into the halftime break down by a goal, but the Eagles quickly extended their lead to start the second half.
 
After early second-half shots by Syd Coggins and Grace Regenstrief were blocked and went wide, respectively, the Eagles made it 2-0 off the foot of Mara Rodriguez.
 
Claudia Schmidt found Rodriguez a few yards shy of the top of the box, and the senior curled one past Kuropatkin into the top-left corner of the net to extend Emory's lead in the 53rd minute.
 
Just under 15 minutes later though, Rochester would find their first answer.
 
From just past midfield, Martin found Claire Grover just onside on a cross, and the junior beat her defender and the Emory keeper with a 64th-minute score to the far-right corner, scoring her UAA-leading 13th goal to cut the Eagles' lead down to one.
 
With her 13th goal of the year, Grover also moved into a tie for the fifth-most goals in a single season in program history, five shy of the program record set by Alison Collins in 2002.
 
And after UR's defense prevented Emory from extending their lead in the 70th minute as a pair of shots went wide, the 'Jackets found the equalizer in the 80th minute.
 
On a takeaway in Emory's defensive zone, Lauren Carrico found Natalie Kocsis with some open space, and Kocsis made the defense pay with a strike into the top-left corner of the net, out of the reach of Emma Miller to level the match at 2-2.
 
Both teams then had opportunities to take the lead in the final 10 minutes, with Kuropatkin making a save on Hall's 86th-minute shot, and Miller stopping Carolyn Richard's 87th-minute volley.
 
But in the 87th minute, a foul in the box gave Emory a penalty kick, and Hall converted it to give Emory a 3-2 lead.
 
Down 3-2, Rochester pressed things offensively, with shots from Richards and Sam Hawkins that went wide. While a great cross from Coggins right in front of the goal sailed just out of the reach of Kocsis, and UR unable to again find the equalizer, fell, 3-2 to the 18th-ranked Eagles.
 
With the loss, Rochester wraps up the regular season at 7-4-5 (2-3-2 UAA), while No. 18 Emory moves to 12-4 (5-2 UAA) with the win.
 
Grover and Kocsis notched the Yellowjackets' two goals, with Carrico and Martin earning the assists. Richards led Rochester with three shots, while Martin and Hawkins added two apiece. In goal, Kuropatkin made two saves.
 
Rochester will now await their fate and see if they earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, with the NCAA Division III selection show scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.