PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – No. 22 University of Rochester field hockey earned a hard-fought, 2-1, shootout win over the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds to open Liberty League play on Friday evening inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
80 minutes wasn't enough to decide the winner, as the Yellowjackets and Thoroughbreds would head to a penalty shootout after tallying 57 shots, 44 penalty corners and 28 saves through the first four quarters and two overtime periods.
 
Ella Krauss scored on URochester's first shootout attempt to put the 'Jackets in the lead, while Erin Ohlenbusch matched Krauss' score to tie the shootout at 1-1 after one round. Sophia Cuneo then scored after being awarded a penalty stroke to make it 2-1, and Kara Houston saved Ella Costa to keep Rochester in front after two shootout rounds.
 
Grayson Honig then found the back of the net for Rochester again to give the 'Jackets a two-goal lead in the shootout. And after Houston made another save, this time on Abby Ezickson, Abigal Mateer came up with the game-winner, regaining her dribble and sliding it past Nicole Sylvestri to give UR the victory.
 
Houston's two saves in the shootout capped off a tremendous day in goal for Rochester's senior goalie, as Houston made 11 saves, including a stop of a penalty stroke midway through the fourth quarter that helped keep the game tied at one.
 
Despite outshooting the Thoroughbreds, 38-19 and 10-7 in the opening quarter, it'd be Skidmore that struck first with a first-quarter tally just shy of the six-minute mark. After Sylvestri and the Skidmore defense defended Rochester's opening salvo, the Thoroughbreds went on the offensive, firing two shots at Houston before earning their first penalty corner.
 
Houston saved Ezickson's first shot off the corner, while Cassidy Romano picked up a defensive save to keep Ezickson's second attempt out of the back of the net, but on the rebound, Ella Costa scored for Skidmore to give the Thoroughbreds a 1-0 lead.
 
And while the Yellowjackets pelted 18 shots on goal at Sylvestri, including four down the stretch of the first quarter, that lead would hold for the Thoroughbreds till midway through the second quarter.
 
Rochester earned six penalty corners in the first and fired 10 shots, with shots on goal from Kristina Fedorova, Honig, Anya Arseneau and Sofia Mianzo all saved by Sylvestri.
 
Meanwhile, on defense, Houston made another save, sandwiched in between two Skidmore corners, to keep the Thoroughbreds' lead at just one.
 
Skidmore earned the first penalty corner of the second quarter, while Sylvestri made another save on Honig, before, with a player advantage after a Skidmore green card, Arseneau hit the post with a shot off a URochester corner just past the 20-minute mark.
 
However, on the rebound, Honig found the back of the net, tapping it in after Arseneau's shot bounced off the post to tie the score at 1-1 in the 21st minute.
 
In the third quarter, Rochester hit the post again on a 39th-minute shot from Erin Foley, while both Houston and Sylvestri came up with saves.
 
Houston stopped an early attempt by Ezickson in the 37th minute, while Sylvestri added three saves to her tally, finishing the game with 17.
 
Rochester would then tally eight shots and 10 penalty corners in the fourth, but despite the offensive attack, couldn't find the back of the net. Sylvestri saved shots from Foley and Honig and Skidmore defended five URochester penalty corners before the Thorougbreds got back on the offensive.
 
And while Houston saved back-to-back shots from Colby Paul, the Thoroughbreds were awarded a penalty stroke. However, Houston made the diving save to keep Paul's attempt out of the back of net, and the 'Jackets and Thoroughbreds all square at one.
 
The 'Jackets held the upper hand in OT, outshooting Skidmore, 8-3 and tallying six penalty corners in the second overtime frame, but once again Sylvestri and the Thoroughbreds' defense came up big and Rochester would have to win via a penalty shootout.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets move to 10-2 (1-0 LL) on the year, while the Thoroughbreds fall back below .500 at 5-6 (1-1 LL).
 
Arseneau led URochester with 10 shots, putting five on goal, while Foley took eight and Honig shot six times.
 
For Skidmore, Ezickson and Ohlenbusch each had four shots, with Ezickson putting all four of hers on goal.
 
The Yellowjackets continue conference play when they head to Canton, NY for a matchup against St. Lawrence University on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 1:00 p.m.