PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Eighty minutes was not enough time for either team to score a goal, sending Wednesday evening's matchup between two nationally-ranked squads to a shootout, with visiting Hamilton College emerging with a 1-0 victory over the University of Rochester field hockey team at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
Rochester (5-1), entered the game sitting at #21 in the first regular-season Division III Coaches Poll, while Hamilton (2-1) slotted in a few spots behind at #24.
 
Even in the shootout, the initial best-of-5 round wasn't enough to decide a winner, with the teams going on to sudden death round, eventually needing nine rounds for one team to separate themselves.
 
Hamilton's Morgan Clarke earned the game-winning score in the shootout, pushing the tally to 4-3 overall in favor of the Continentals. Hamilton keeper Kelly Janssen forced a miss on Rochester's ninth attempt that would have kept the game going.
 
Rochester senior goalkeeper Kara Houston and her two central defenders, Abigal Mateer and Sophia Cuneo, each had outstanding games for the Yellowjackets, fending off a total of 31 shots by the Continentals. Houston ended with 18 saves, easily establishing a new career-high. Mateer was strong in the circle, blocking several other Hamilton attempts.
 
After a defensive battle in the opening quarter, things opened up a little bit in the second, with both teams having strong stretches in the offensive zone.
 
URochester's best chance in the first half came in the 26th minute when the Yellowjackets earned a pair of penalty corners. On the second corner, Erin Foley had a tip shot right in front and Ella Krauss tried to slam in the rebound, but neither got past Hamilton starting keeper Abby Griffin in the cage.
 
With about five minutes remaining in the third quarter, senior Anya Arseneau had a clean look for the Yellowjackets from eight yards along the right wing after a corner, but substitute keeper Janssen came up with the kick save, her first of the contest.
 
As the clock ticked down under 15 seconds in the third, a strong ball by Hamilton got sent into the circle, with Houston coming off her line five yards, denying a point-blank chance from Lilly Truchon, keeping the game scoreless.
 
Early in the fourth, a deflected pass by Sofia LaFalce found the stick of Krauss, leading to a 2-on-0 breakaway for the Yellowjackets, but Janssen made a terrific save, breaking up the best scoring chance of the night for Rochester.
 
Late in regulation, the Yellowjackets yielded a corner to Hamilton, but Houston kept her solid game going, denying an in-close shot by Claire Tratnyek.
 
A long hit during the final ten seconds of regulation found the stick of Becky Felker alone in space in the circle, but her chance sailed wide of the cage, sending the game to overtime.
 
The first extra session was evenly played, as both teams took four shots, with UR earning the only two corners in the period.
 
A late yellow card gave Rochester a player advantage, but the Yellowjackets could only earn one corner and one shot on goal, by Cassidy Romano, in that span, with Janssen coming up with the kick save.
 
The second overtime was all Hamilton, as the Continentals peppered Houston with 11 total shots, six of which were on goal, but the UR senior came up big, keeping the game scoreless. Hamilton also took all six corners of the second OT, leading to the total difference in the game, with the visitors up 14-8.
 
After the scoreless 80 minutes, the teams decided on five shooters for the opening initial best-of-five shootout.
 
Rochester missed first, with Hamilton's Sammy Higgins connecting to put the Continentals up one. Each team missed in rounds two and three before Mateer knotted the score at one in the fourth round.
 
Clarke missed her first chance in the shootout before UR's fifth shooter, Romano stepped up and scored to put the Yellowjackets ahead with one Hamilton player left.
 
Isabelle Nahon came up with a clutch score as the buzzer sounded in the final round, sending the teams into sudden death rounds thereafter.
 
Nahon was up first for Hamilton in the next set, and quickly scored via penalty stroke after a foul, putting the pressure back on Rochester.
 
UR chose Romano and the junior connected to keep the contest going.
 
The next two shooters for both teams failed to score before Clarke notched the game winning in the ninth round of attempts. The Yellowjackets had one final chance to pull even, but Arseneau was denied on two chances by Janssen, leading to the Continentals win.