PITTSFORD, NY – The University of Rochester men's soccer team turned in its fourth multi-goal effort of the season, scoring three times in the second half en route to a 3-1 win over St. John Fisher University on Wednesday evening at Growney Stadium.
With a combined six shots in the first half, and just one on goal, neither side was able to find the back of the net in the opening period.
The Yellowjackets earned an early corner less than five minutes into the contest, while
Will Fallona's header just shy of the seven-minute mark proved to be the lone shot on goal of the first half, forcing one of two saves by the Cardinals' keeper, Parker Stusek.
Fallona sent another attempt wide of the mark a little over a minute later, while Rochester earned a trio of corners over the next 10 minutes, culminating with another header from Fallona, but again, this one went wide of the mark, sailing high.
After
Kamal Ibrahim sent his 32nd-minute attempt wide right, the Cardinals would take two shots before the halftime buzzer, but UR's defense blocked both volleys from Aidan Furmansky and Collin Gannon, and the two sides went into the locker room deadlocked in a scoreless draw.
Quickly, though, Rochester got on the board to start the second half, with a pair of goals in the first six minutes of the period.
Sebastian Ballesteros helped UR break through first with a hard strike from about 25-yards out, assisted by
Milos Bisenic, to give the 'Jackets a 1-0 lead.
Then, a little over a minute later, off a Fisher turnover,
Tyler Moran sent a pass up the field to
Johnny Makula, who beat Stusek to the low left to double Rochester's lead.
Just past the 58-minute mark, St. John Fisher would earn a penalty kick, which Jack Tamburino buried to cut Rochester's lead in half, 2-1. But after a 64th-minute save from
Ben Ziegler prevented the Cardinals from finding the equalizer, the Yellowjackets would answer back.
After Makula sent a shot wide of the mark in the 66th minute, Ballesteros notched another score to complete his brace, this time off an assist from
Mikey Burke to re-extend Rochester's lead back to two, 3-1.
Ballesteros' second score came just shy of the 68-minute mark of the second half, and from there, the Yellowjackets would finish off the victory.
Ashton Prescott nearly made it 4-1 in the 71st minute, forcing Stusek's second save of the night, while a late header from Fisher's Ashton Giambrone went wide in the 83rd minute.
Down the waning moments of the second half, the Cardinals put together one last break to try and pull within a goal, but Ziegler came up with another save on Brady Vieira's attempt, securing the 3-1 victory for the Yellowjackets.
Rochester moves to 3-2-2 with the win, while St. John Fisher remains winless at 0-5-1 with the loss.
Individually, Fallona led the 'Jackets with three shots, while Ballesteros, Ibrahim and Makula each added two. In goal, Ziegler made two saves and allowed just one goal on the penalty kick.
Offensively, Ballesteros notched UR's first multi-goal game since 2023, when Santi Ponce Ocampo tallied a pair of scores in a 2-1 win at St. John Fisher on Sept. 19, 2023.
The Yellowjackets return home for Meliora Weekend, hosting Clarkson University on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 5:00 p.m. inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.
