PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – No. 12 University of Rochester women's soccer picked up its third-straight result in University Athletic Association (UAA) conference play, battling No. 6 Case Western Reserve University to a 1-1 draw on Saturday morning at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
The Yellowjackets would get off to a quick start offensively, with a pair of early shots on goal at Maggie Stori. Just over four minutes in, Megan Pung found Lauren Blanch ahead of the defense with a beautiful thru ball, but the first-year's shot was shaved by a diving Sorti, and CWRU's defense was able to clear the rebound away.
 
Then a little over two minutes later, Claire Grover tapped a loose ball in front of goal just high, following a free kick taken by Grace Regenstrief. While in the ninth minute, Blanch sent another that Sorti had to save to keep Rochester from taking an early lead.
 
Case Western Reserve would take the game's first corner in the 16th minute, but UR's defense kept the Spartans' offense at bay, drawing CWRU offsides four separate times in the first 22 minutes of action.
 
Grover had another chance in the 28th minute, as Blanch fed Grover with another thru ball out of the reach of CWRU's defense, but Maya Healy was able to skip Grover's shot away after it skipped by the Spartans' keeper.
 
Finally, though in the 34th minute, the Yellowjackets got on the scoreboard. Katharina Probst found Grover ahead with another thru ball, but again Sorti made the save. However, the rebound caromed off Sorti and over to Riya Kunderan, who scored off the rebound on the wide-open net to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
 
The 'Jackets would take the 1-0 lead into the halftime break, holding the 6th-ranked Spartans without a shot in the opening period. However, the Spartans put the pressure on Rochester's defense to start the second half, forcing the first of two saves made by Grace Kuropatkin just over two minutes in.
 
Kuropatkin saved Carolyn Koutures's 48th-minute shot, while Ceci Dapino sent one wide less than a minute later.
 
Natalie Kocsis nearly made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute, finding Grover, who passed it back to Kocsis to the right of goal. But the junior's one-timed shot was just wide, and UR's lead stayed at just one goal.
 
But after a couple more chances for CWRU, the Spartans would break through with the equalizer in the 63rd minute. Kuropatkin would get a hand on Alesix Sassower's cross, but not enough to keep it away from Molly Shamah, who finished the score from eight yards out to level the score at 1-1.
 
And with the score tied, both teams would have chances to take the lead down the stretch, starting in the 71st minute.
 
Abigail Meneses, shortly after subbing on, forced Kuropatkin's second save, while a few minutes later, the Spartans earned a pair of corners, he second of which ended with a shot from Sassower that was blocked.
 
For Rochester, Pung again got the offense moving in the 84th minute, finding some space before a pass ahead to Grover. The ball eventually made its way back to Pung, who passed it to Sydney Holmes on the left wing. Holmes crossed it into Blanch inside the box, but the first-year's shot went off the side of her foot and just wide for a goal kick.
 
Then in the waning moments, Mia McGinty nearly found Grover with a cross in front of the goal, but the final buzzer would eventually sound with the two sides still level at one-all.
 
Both the Yellowjackets and Spartans remain undefeated with the result, with No. 12 UR moving to 9-0-4 (0-0-3 UAA) on the year, while No. 6 CWRU moves to 10-0-2 (2-0-1 UAA).
 
Blanch led UR with four shots, including two on goal, while Grover shot two on goal and three total. Grover also earned the assist on Kunderan's score, while Kuropatkin made a pair of saves in goal.
 
The Yellowjackets have a conference double-up next weekend, with a pair of UAA matches on Friday, Oct. 20 vs. NYU at 5:00 p.m., and vs. Brandeis on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 11:00 p.m. inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.