PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Behind Claire Grover's 75th-minute score, University of Rochester women's soccer picked up its first University Athletic Association (UAA) win of the 2023 campaign, defeating Brandeis University, 1-0, on Sunday at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
With the win, UR remains unbeaten at 10-0-5 (1-0-4 UAA), while the Judges fall to 6-6-3 (0-5-0 UAA).
 
Though the 'Jackets held possession for nearly 60 percent of the first half, including 53 percent in the offensive zone, and outshot Brandeis, 7-3, in the first half, the two sides stood scoreless at the break.
 
Lauren Blanch got the Yellowjacket attack started with a shot on goal, saved by Hannah Bassan, 1:08 into the first half, while Abby Kenkelen answered on the other end with a shot on goal, which Grace Kuropatkin also saved.
 
Then in the ninth minute, Grover nearly found the back of the net off a cross from Mia McGinty, but her header sailed just wide. Grover would tally another shot, this time with her left foot, in the 13th minute, forcing Bassan to make yet another save, before the Judges earned back-to-back corners.
 
Tanvi Raju forced Kuropatkin to make another save off the first Brandeis corner, while Sydney Lenhart's shot was blocked on the ensuing corner, and Rochester's defense would hold the Judges without a shot the rest of the period.
 
Down the stretch of the first half, Megan Pung sent in a free kick on goal to force another Bassan save, and on the rebound, Cece Vassallo followed the rebound, but it went right back to Bassan for yet another save. The Judges' keeper made four first-half saves and would add seven more in the second half as the 'Jackets continued to look for a score.
 
Sarah Martin got things going quickly for the Yellowjackets in the second half with a shot at Bassan. While after Pung's 49th-minute shot was blocked, Blanch made a nice move in the box to get a left-footed shot on goal, but again, Bassan made the save and instead forced a UR corner kick.
 
Then again in the 60th minute, Bassan made a pair of saves, as on a free kick from Pung, Blanch got a head on it, and McGinty attempted to curl in the rebound after the Judges weren't able to clear it.
 
Rochester earned another corner at the 61:39 mark, and after UR played it short to Blanch, the first year nearly found Riya Kunderan for the score, but Bassan saved the sophomore's back-footed shot.
 
Kunderan and Pung added two more shots on goal in the 71st and 73rd minutes, as UR continued to pepper Bassan, with 13 second-half shots, eight of which were on goal.
 
And finally, in the 75th minute, the Yellowjackets would break through on another corner, one of six second-half corners and eight total for Rochester. Gabi Chioccola played the corner into Grover for UR, whose right-footed tap found the lower-left corner of the goal to give the 'Jackets a 1-0 lead.
 
Grover's goal, her 13th of the year, moved the senior into a tie for the third-most goals all-time in program history with Sue Lathan `85.
 
Up 1-0, Rochester would look to add to their lead, with a pair of corner kicks over the next 10 minutes, as well as shots from Katharina Probst and Chioccola that were blocked and sent wide.
 
But with the clock ticking under 10 minutes remaining, the Judges pushed the pace offensively, looking to equalize. Yasla Ngoma sent the Judges' second shot on goal of the half at Kuropatkin in the 85th minute, but the junior made the save and UR was able to clear things away.
 
Ngoma would fire another one wide before the final buzzer sounded, but the 'Jackets' defense held firm, holding Brandeis to just three shots in the final 20 minutes to seal the 1-0 victory.
 
Blanch and Grover each led UR with four shots, while Pung added three. Grover tallied the game-winner off an assist from Chioccola, while Kuropatkin made four saves in goal.
 
Tied for third in the UAA with two games to play, Rochester next heads to St. Louis, MO to face No. 3 and the UAA-leading Washington University in St. Louis Bears on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 11:00 a.m. CST.