GENESEO, NY — The University of Rochester women's soccer team returned to their winning ways with a hard-fought, 1-0 victory over SUNY Geneseo, as Natalie Kocsis' goal in the 85th-minute proved to be all the Yellowjackets needed to secure the win.
 
Rochester dominated in the shot department, tallying 30 shots in total, with 18 on target. Despite creating numerous opportunities in front of the net though, Geneseo's keeper, Mollie Collins, made 17 saves, leading to a narrow 1-0 win.
 
The Yellowjackets started out strong, firing off eight shots in the first 20 minutes from Claire Grover, Sydney Holmes, Natalie Santangelo, and Eileen Harvey. But despite the early pressure, Collins made four saves to keep UR out of the back of the net.
 
Grover had two near misses early on: one striking the crossbar and another just wide to the left, either of which would have given Rochester some breathing room early in the match.
 
As the first half wound down, the Yellowjackets attempted just one shot in the last 20 minutes of play, and the two sides would go into the locker room locked in a scoreless draw.
 
Rochester appeared to score a highlight-worthy goal just before halftime, but it was called back for offsides. After a beautiful cross from Natalie Kocsis into the box, Syd Coggins connected with a header that found Claire Baim, who nearly put UR in the lead, but the play was whistled dead.
 
The second half saw Rochester ramp up the intensity again, with 19 of their 30 total shots coming after the break. They shared the ball well, with nine different players attempting shots during the second half alone.
 
The deadlock was finally broken when Maya Bravo delivered a precise cross from the sideline, finding Kocsis in the box, who calmly slotted the ball into the lower-left corner of goal to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
 
The Yellowjackets' defense held firm in the closing minutes, allowing no shots and only three corners all game, preserving the shutout.
 
Geneseo goalkeeper Mollie Collins was impressive, keeping the Knights in the game with 17 saves.
 
Grover led the Yellowjackets with seven shots, while Holmes and Kocsis each contributed four.
 
With the win, Rochester improves to 6-1-1 on the season, while SUNY Geneseo drops to 4-3-1.
 
The Yellowjackets continue their 2024 campaign with a road matchup against Ithaca College on Sept. 27 at 3:00 pm.