PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Powered by a late penalty-kick goal, No. 8 University of Rochester women's soccer defeated the Nazareth University Golden Flyers, 1-0, in their home opener on Tuesday evening inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Defense dominated for much of the early contest, with the two sides combining for just three shots over the first 25 minutes.
 
Eileen Harvey had the game's first attempt in the 13th minute, a shot blocked, while Natalie Santangelo curled the ensuing corner on goal, but a Golden Flyer defending knocked it away and kept things scoreless.
 
UR and Nazareth combined for four offsides calls over the first 22 minutes, three of which went on the Golden Flyers, as neither side was able to build much up in the field of play.  
 
Shannon Sgombick had the first shot of the night for Nazareth, a wide attempt in the 25th minute, and the 'Jackets would push things the other way.
 
In the 27th minute, the 'Jackets started to get moving offensively and nearly scored a goal, as Annika Monfort had to make a leaping save on Jordyn Kowalkowski's header to keep the game scoreless.
 
The two sides headed into the break still scoreless, having combined for just six shots and three corners, but things started to heat up in the second. Harvey had another two shots, sending one wide and another high from long-distance, while Santangelo forced another stop from Monfort, on a ball in from Natalie Kocsis.
 
On the other end, Nazareth earned its first shot on goal of the night, but Grace Kuropatkin made her first of three second-half saves to keep the Golden Flyers at bay.
 
Kuropatkin made another save in the 76th minute, beating Tatum Overton to the ball on a sliding attempt, while on UR's corner just over a minute later, Emma Cohen nearly broke the scoreless tie, sending her header just wide of the mark.
 
Finally, though, after two more saves from Kuropatkin and Monfrot, the Yellowjackets, continuing to put pressure on the Nazareth defense, broke through and earned a penalty kick.
 
Maya Bravo found Claire Baim ahead with some space, and the first-year was tripped up by her defender in the box to earn the PK. Then another first-year, Santangelo, stepped up to take the penalty kick and converted it with ease, giving Rochester a 1-0 lead.
 
That'd be all the Yellowjackets needed as Nazareth attempted just one shot the rest of the way, while UR nearly added another, but an offsides call kept Santangelo from making it 2-0 in the 87th minute, while Sydney Holmes' 88th-minute shot sailed just high.
 
Still, though, Kuropatkin and the UR defense would finish off the shutout, and the 'Jackets walked away with a 1-0 victory in their home opener.
 
With the win, Rochester moves to 3-0-1 on the year, continuing its now 21-game, regular-season unbeaten streak, while Nazareth drops to 3-1 with the loss.
 
Offensively, Harvey and Santangelo each tallied three shots, with Santangelo netting the score. Six other Yellowjackets added a shot, combining for 12 shots (five on goal), compared to just six for the visitors.
 
In goal, Kuropatkin made three saves to earn the win and shutout, her third of the year.
 
The Yellowjackets will look to keep rolling when travel to Buffalo, NY for a matchup against Buffalo State University on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:00 p.m.