PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Behind sophomore Mayo Bravo's long-range, late strike, the University of Rochester women's soccer defeated the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers, 1-0, in their non-conference finale on Tuesday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
While the Yellowjackets had a pair of early chances, neither UR nor RIT could get much going in the first half. The two sides combined for just five shots in the opening period, three from the visitors and two from Rochester.
 
A fifth-minute RIT foul gave Rochester a free-kick from just outside the box, but Emily Sanchez got a hand on Claudia Ferreira's boot, keeping the 'Jackets from putting a shot on net. A little more than a minute later though, Sydney Holmes would take UR's first chance of the afternoon, sailing a chip-in from Remi Cherkas just wide of the mark for a Tiger goal kick.
 
Claire Grover then forced Sanchez's first of two saves in the eighth minute, ripping a shot on goal after the Tigers couldn't clear Cherkas' ball-in, but Sanchez made a diving stop to keep Rochester from taking an early lead.
 
The Tigers first challenged Grace Kuropatkin and the Yellowjacket defense at the 11:00 mark of the first, with Kuropatkin stopping a shot from Elena Onodera, while UR's defense prevented anything further on the ensuing corner.
 
Despite a corner kick and two offside calls, Rochester wouldn't get another shot off the rest of the first, while for the Tigers, Jullian Antol's 25th-minute attempt was blocked by the 'Jacket defense, and Kuropatkin made another save on Valeria Luzio's 44th-minute strike.
 
Rochester's offense picked back up to start the second half, sending three shots toward goal over the first five minutes of play. Bravo saw her first attempt get blocked in the 46th minute, while Ferreira forced Sanchez to make another save on her free kick less than a minute later.
 
Then in the 50th minute, UR earned another free kick, this time from about 32-yards out, and Ferreira found Cherkas for a header, but the first-year just sailed it wide of the mark.
 
On the other end, Sam Tran sent a long-range shot just a bit high and wide in the 56th minute, while her 59th-minute attempt resulted in an RIT corner, one of five on the evening for the visitors.
 
The 'Jackets defended it well and drew RIT offsides though, before another free kick in the 64th minute resulted in three saves by Kuropatkin. The Tigers drew Kuropatkin off her line as the senior keeper attempted to corral the ball, and instead, the Tigers sent three balls at her before Rochester's defense could clear it, all of which Kuropatkin kept out of the back of the net.
 
Following a 57th-minute shot from Natalie Santangelo that just sailed high of the mark, UR's defense picked up a bit down the stretch, with a pair of corners at the 70:13 mark of the second half.
 
And after Ashley Van Vechten sent the starters back onto the pitch with just over 10 minutes to play, Bravo and the 'Jackets finally broke through.
 
With Natalie Kocsis attempting to win the ball back from RIT's defense, the ball made its way to Bravo about 30 yards from goal, and the sophomore two-timed it with a long-range shot into the lower-left corner of the net, tucked just inside the post, to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
 
And that'd be all the Yellowjackets needed, as UR's defense held RIT without a shot over the final 10 minutes to secure the victory, their eighth of the year.
 
No. 20 UR moves to 8-1-2 with the win, while the Tigers fall to 5-3-3 with the loss. Despite being outshot, 12-8, and 5-3 on goal, the 'Jackets walked away with the 1-0 victory, as Kuropatkin saved all give of RIT's shots on goal.
 
Bravo also led the 'Jackets with two shots, while Grover and Ferreira each put their shot on goal.
 
The Yellowjackets next wrap up their three-game homestand against No. 4 Carnegie Mellon on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Fauver Stadium.