PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – University of Rochester women's soccer won its fourth-straight contest, posting its fourth-straight shutout and seventh in eight games in a 1-0 win over SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Rochester quickly got on the attack after the opening kickoff, and following a third-minute corner, Lauren Blanch recorded UR's first shot of the night, one that was saved by one of three team saves on the evening for Geneseo.
 
On a corner taken by Grace Regenstreif, Claire Grover headed it over to Blanch, who played it towards goal, but Lanna Wendy knocked it away to keep the 'Jackets from scoring.
 
However, the Knights weren't able to clear the ball out of their defensive zone, and after Regenstreif again played the ball into the box, a header found its way to Natalie Kocsis, who one-timed it off the diving Knights' keeper and into the back of the net to give UR a 1-0 lead just over three minutes into the first half.
 
UR then nearly made it 2-0 on another corner kick just a few minutes later, with Mia McGinty's low, line-drive corner finding Sarah Martin, who skipped it on goal, but again Geneseo's Dana Schoeps came up with the team save, knocking Martin's shot away to keep the Yellowjackets from doubling their lead.
 
The Knights would earn their first corner of the half in the 14th minute, but an offsides penalty allowed UR to push the other way.
 
The 'Jackets earned another corner, one of four in the first half and eight in the game, and Megan Pung put McGinty's cross on goal, but another Knight defender knocked it away, while Sydney Holmes' follow was picked up by Mollie Collins to again keep UR from extending its 1-0 lead.
 
In total, Rochester would outshoot SUNY Geneseo, 6-1 in the first half and 13-2 overall as the 'Jackets dominated possession, holding the ball for more than 70 percent of the contest.
 
Martin would take one more shot following UR's fourth corner of the first half in the 29th minute, sending one wide, while Julia McHugh would force Grace Kuropatkin to make her lone save of the first half in the 35th minute, a long-range shot off a turnover that bounced its way to Kuropatkin for an easy save.
 
The Yellowjackets took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break and quickly got back on the offensive to start the second, with four shots from Blanch and Martin, three wide and one blocked, in the first 10 minutes.
 
Kuropatkin was called upon to make another save in the 68th minute, as the Knights found Abby Foster ahead of the defense with a forward cross, but Tess Peterson helped cut off any angle for Foster, and Kuropatkin made the save on the near post to keep UR in front, 1-0.
 
Down the stretch, the Yellowjackets looked to add to their lead with Grover's centering pass off a 74th-minute corner finding Syd Coggins, but the junior's right-footed shot was saved by Collins.
 
Then in the 77th minute, Katharina Probst headed a corner from Gabi Chioccola, but again Collins was there to prevent UR from adding to its lead.
 
Kocsis' goal would prove to be enough though, as UR held the Knights to just one shot in the second half and without a shot over the final 20 minutes to seal their fourth-straight shutout and victory, heading into conference play.
 
With the win, Rochester moves to 7-0-1 on the year, while the Knights fall to 5-2-2.
 
Martin led UR with four shots while Blanch tallied three, while Kocsis and Regenstreif connected on Rochester's lone score. Defensively, Kuropatkin made a pair of saves, posting her fifth clean sheet of the year.
 
The Yellowjackets are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 30 in Chicago, IL, opening University Athletic Association conference play at the University of Chicago at 11:00 a.m. CST.