POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The University of Rochester field hockey team picked up another comeback victory on Sunday, rallying past host Vassar College 2-1 in overtime at Weinberg Field.
Rookie
Hannah Mehta fired a shot that found the cage just over three minutes into overtime to give the Yellowjackets (15-3, 5-2 Liberty League) the victory, closing out its Liberty League conference schedule.
Fellow first-year,
Kristina Fedorova, notched the other Yellowjackets goal, coming in the 54th minute, pulling Rochester even with the Brewers late in regulation.
Neither team could muster much offense in the first quarter, with only two total shots being attempted, one by each squad.
Vassar (3-14, 1-6 Liberty League) took the lead in the early part of the second quarter, as Karina Hoffman re-directed a cross pass from Anna Hazewindus on a penalty corner. The goal came after an onslaught of shots and corners in the 19th minute.
Rochester's
Mara Heppard made a defensive save, denying Zoe Robinson a goal, with a rebound attempt by Sofia Beseth getting kicked away by
Kara Houston in the 'Jacket goal.
On the ensuing corner, Houston made two more saves before a third straight corner led to the Brewers goal.
Rochester flipped the script later in the quarter, applying lots of offensive pressure in the closing six minutes, but the Vassar defense and goalkeeper Grace Wiley was able to keep the Yellowjackets off the board. UR's Sophie Cuneo was denied by a strong defensive save by Gianna Hoover, keeping the Brewers up at halftime.
The third quarter was more like the first quarter, with only Rochester taking shot attempts in that 15-minute stretch. Mehta and
Zoe Conomikes both had shots blocked, with UR also earning one corner.
As play flipped to the fourth quarter, the Yellowjackets continued in the offensive zone, earning and early corner that led to an
Anya Arseneau shot wide. A few minutes later, Conomikes blasted a shot on goal that was kicked away by Wiley.
On UR's third corner of the period,
Mara Heppard inserted to Fedorova who cracked a hard shot from the edge of the circle that found the net, tying the score.
After Rochester tied it, Vassar looked to score the game-winner late, but several shots and two penalty corners for the Brewers were defended away by the Yellowjackets.
In the extra session, the game ended on the first shot attempt off the stick of Mehta. A foul set up Rochester just outside the circle. The first-year juked a defender and found space before firing a hard attempt from the center circle that snuck just inside the left post.
Mehta's goal was her 13th of the season overall, and the first-year's fourth game-winning goal.
In the cage, Houston picked up another victory, the 37th of her career, making five saves. Wiley was also credited with five saves for the Brewers.
Overall, Vassar edged out UR in shot attempts, leading 14-13 in the game. The Brewers also held the lead in corners, taking seven to Rochester's six over the course of the game.
Rochester wraps up the regular season next Saturday at SUNY Geneseo in a key regional matchup before heading to the Liberty League Championships, where the Yellowjackets will be the 3rd-seed in that 5-team tournament.
