SCHENECTADY, NY – Host Union College picked up a goal on a scramble in front seven and a half minutes into the second overtime, earning a 3-2 victory over the University of Rochester in a Liberty League field hockey matchup on Saturday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field.
Union's Maggie Monaghan scored the game-winner, slapping in a rebound through traffic with just 2:35 left on the clock before the game would have been sent to a shootout.
Rochester (9-2, 0-1 Liberty League) got tallies from first-year
Hannah Mehta and graduate student
Zoe Conomikes, both coming in the second half.
Both goalies were terrific in the cages, as Rochester's
Kara Houston finished with eight saves and Union keeper Sophie Brady made ten. Kat Bruun also was credited with a defensive save for the Garnet Chargers (7-4, 1-1 Liberty League).
Union applied pressure in the early going, getting two corners and five shots, four of which were saved by Houston in the opening six minutes.
Shortly after Rochester first penalty corner led to a
Kristina Fedorova shot, Union connected on a transition goal, with Grace Goddard unleashing a strong hit from the right wing that slipped between Houston's legs.
In the second, neither team could get anything going, with Rochester's Mehta having the best chance in the final minute, but her rocket backhand blast was cleared out of the air by Bruun for the defensive save.
The Yellowjackets had back-to-back chances in the 36th minute, but Brady was there to deny both attempts. The Garnet Chargers followed by defending the ensuing penalty corner as well, keeping the hosts in front.
Late in the quarter Rochester scored the equalizer off a penalty corner.
Mara Heppard inserted into the center circle to Mehta who ripped a blast on goal that got deflected but had enough momentum to trickle past Brady for the goal.
In the fourth, Union's first corner yielded a go-ahead goal from Rowan Dapson. After an initial attempt was blocked, Dapson corralled a rebound outside the circle, moved up and launched a sweep shot that found the cage.
As time ticked below three minutes remaining in regulation, the Yellowjackets earned a penalty corner and on the ensuing shot, a ball hit a foot denying a goal scoring situation, leading the to referee awarding a penalty stroke.
Conomikes stepped up to the dot and calmly found the back of the net, knotting the game once again, sending the contest to overtime.
Rochester dominated the opening overtime, taking three shots and earning six penalty corners, but was unable to notch the game-winner.
Things evened up in the second extra session with the Garnet Chargers pulling out the upset win over #18 Rochester on Monaghan's goal at 77:25.
Rochester's next game also will be a Liberty League matchup, with UR hosting William Smith at Fauver Stadium on Wednesday evening at 7 pm.
