PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Backed by an early goal from Claire Grover a two-goal stretch from Syd Coggins over two minutes in the second half, the University of Rochester women's soccer team posted a 3-1 victory over Emmanuel College on Saturday afternoon during the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
The victory moves #15 ranked Rochester onto the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, with UR being slated to take on #18 Amherst College in Sunday's regional final at 3 pm.
 
Emmanuel (17-3-1), winners of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference this season, came out aggressive and led the game with 26 shot attempts, but Rochester (12-3-3) ended up countering well with odd-player rushes leading to all three goals.
 
The Saints were Division III's top scoring team entering the tournament, scoring a whopping 105 goals during the regular season, averaging an astounding 5.0 goals per game. The one-goal output was just the sixth time in 22 games Emmanuel was held to three goals or less.
 
UR's defense and senior keeper Grace Kuropatkin did the work along the back line, with Kuropatkin matching her career-high with 11 saves in the victory.
 
After a first ten minutes with just one shot for each team, Rochester's Grover got the scoring started in the game with her seventh goal of the season at the 10:20 mark.
 
A ball was sent up the midfield and settled by Grover who played a give-and-go ball to fellow forward Natalie Santangelo. Santangelo's pass found a streaking Grover on a breakaway towards the goal where UR's second all-time leading scorer beat goalkeeper Teigan Robie to her left for a 1-0 lead.
 
Grover's goal is her 45th career score, sitting just one goal behind Alison Collins for the Rochester all-time lead.  
 
Two minutes later, Santangelo had a nice look at a goal, receiving a Maya Bravo pass from the sideline before taking a spinning shot from the edge of the crease, but Robie was there for one of eight saves on the day.
 
On a long free kick in the 17th minute, the Saints had a free kick that set up Division III's leading scorer, Sarah Dullaghan, with an opportunity to score. But Dullaghan's left-footed one-timer shot sailed wide right of the net. Dullaghan finished her junior season with a whopping 45 goals.
 
Later in the half, a Kuropatkin mistake on a goal kick slipped over the endline and gave Emmanuel the corner kick of the game. The Saints ended up earning two corners in the three-minute stretch that also featured five total shots, two of which were on target, but saved by the 'Jacket keeper.
 
On the second corner in the 29th minute, a header from Liz McCormick grazed off the posted, with a rebound attempt by Ciara Horan being scooped up by Kuropatkin. A minute later, McCormick ripped a hard shot on frame after a nice cutback along the left end line, but Kuropatkin again stood tall between the pipes and made the stop.
 
With five and a half minutes left in the half, Coggins looked to make it 2-0 Rochester, one-timing a shot on goal off a cross pass from Alyssa Doody, but the Emmanuel keeper was there for a save, keeping it a one-goal game heading into halftime.
 
Grover got UR's first look in the second half, but was turned away by Robie just 29 seconds in, but Kuropatkin returned the favor, denying Hailey Goodman with a save a minute later in the Rochester net.
 
Shortly after subbing into the game Coggins and a wave of fresh-legged Yellowjackets boosted the lead to 3-0, with Coggins tallying in the 63rd and 65th minutes.
 
Hannah Nagashima started the run by stealing the ball near midfield and keeping possession deep into the Emmanuel third. The first-year then slipped a ball between two Saints defenders to a wide open Coggins who one-touched a top of the foot shot into the net for the 2-0 lead.
 
Two minutes later, Coggins tallied again. After a throw in, Nagashima dribbled around a pair of defenders finding an open Jordyn Kowalkowski along the left side. With one defender between her and the goal, Kowalkowski elected to pass to Coggins who took one dribble and finished just inside the left post for her second of the day.
 
The two-score game was the second of Coggins' career, after she tallied two markers against Alfred as a sophomore back in 2022.
 
In the 70th minute, Coggins looked for a hat trick, but her left-footed attempt from outside the crease sailed wide left.
 
Emmanuel's goal came in the 82nd minute on a penalty kick by Annebel Balogh de Galantha. After a foul in the box awarded the penalty, Kuropatkin was tended to by the athletic trainer and was forced to come out of the game for the shot.
 
Marla Radikas came in with the tough task of stopping the PK, but Balogh de Galantha converted, avoiding what would have been just the second shutout against the Saints in 2024. Balogh de Galantha's score was her sixth of the season.
 
The tally did not provide the Saints with much momentum though, as Emmanuel only was able to earn one final corner kick and no further shots the rest of the way, ending their season.
 
Overall in the game, Emmanuel led 26-15 in shots and 6-5 in corners.