PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – First-year Hannah Mehta scored a goal early in the fourth quarter, lifting the University of Rochester field hockey team to a 2-1 victory over visiting St. John Fisher University on a chilly Wednesday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Mehta's goal came on a great individual effort on a penalty corner in the 48th minute, capping a Rochester (11-3) come-from-behind victory.
 
St. John Fisher (6-8) took the lead in the first half, scoring 1:40 into the second quarter, only to see Rochester answer right back less than two minutes later with Zoe Conomikes ripping a penalty corner blast into the cage off a pass from teammate Kristina Fedorova.
 
Rochester's defense turned in a stellar effort overall, limiting the Cardinals to just four shots total, and none in the second half of the contest. UR led in the shot department 27-4, while also blanking the Cardinals in penalty corners, leading that stat 17-0 for the game.
 
St. John Fisher got things started with the opening shot of the game just 89 seconds in, but Molly Fisher's attempt was blocked by the Yellowjackets.
 
Midway through the period, Mehta used some fancy ball handling to slip past a defender in the circle and sweep a 9-yard shot towards the net that ended wide.
 
With under a minute to play in the opening quarter, St. John Fisher's Taylor Scrocca corralled a loose ball in front, spun around a defender and took a shot that was stopped by Rochester keeper Kara Houston.
 
Early in the second, the Cardinals took the lead when first-year Sam Current scored her first goal of the season at the 16:40 mark. Current swatted the ball out of mid-air into the net after a cross from Avery McLaughlin got deflected by the Yellowjacket defense up high.
 
The lead did not last long though, as Rochester shortly after earned the penalty corner where Conomikes blasted in her third goal of the 2024 campaign from the left wing.
 
It was all Rochester the rest of the first half, earning seven corners and firing seven shots, but the Cardinal defense and keeper Senja Matson were able to keep the score tied at intermission.
 
During the third quarter, Rochester's Grayson Honig had a golden opportunity to score after a steal in the Fisher zone, but her attempt from the right wing 10 yards off the line sailed wide. The shot was one of four on the night for the sophomore.
 
Later in the third, UR nearly took the lead when a Conomikes cross in front was deflected towards the far post by Honig. A Cardinal defender was there and the ball deflected in after a battle with Sophia Cuneo at the post, but the umpire whistled the play dead before the score, instead issuing a penalty corner in favor of Rochester.
 
On the corner, Conomikes had two good looks at the net, but both of her shots were stopped by Matson in goal. The Cardinal keeper on the night ended with 10 total saves.
 
Mehta's game-winner came on Rochester's first shot attempt of the fourth quarter. After a corner insert from Mara Heppard found Conomikes on the wing, a swing pass in found Mehta at the edge of the circle. The first-year took a defender one-on-one and used multiple spin moves while maintaining possession to find space in the circle, eventually blasting a 7-yard shot just inside the right post for her team-leading 12th goal of the year.
 
Later on, Conomikes nearly scorer her second of the night, re-directing a long ball in from Honig along the left wing, but Matson again made a nice save, keeping it a one-goal game.
 
A minute later, Mehta blasted a vicious backhand attempt from the center of the circle towards the cage, with Matson swatting the high ball out of the air for another save.
 
Rochester's offensive pressure continued for much of the rest of the fourth, not allowing the Cardinals much in the way of chances to penetrate the UR half of the field.
 
Houston finished with just one save on the night in earning the victory, which is the juniors 33rd of her career, putting her into the top-5 all-time in Rochester field hockey history.
 
Up next, Rochester hosts Liberty League foe St. Lawrence University on Friday afternoon in a 4 pm matchup at Fauver Stadium.