HENRIETTA, NY – No. 13 University of Rochester women's soccer remained unbeaten on the year with a 1-1 draw in their final tune-up before University Athletic Association conference play against the 24th-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers on Tuesday evening at Tiger Stadium.
 
Following a first half that saw just three total shots, just one of which was on goal, the Yellowjackets upped the tempo to start the second half, looking to break through with a score.
 
Femke Laudy put the lone shot on goal in the first half, a header off a fourth-minute corner that Emily Sanchez saved, while RIT's Emmaa Pedro and UR's Hannah Nagashima both sent shots wide in the first half of play.
 
In the second half, Sydney Holmes put Rochester's first of six shots on goal in the period, settling a ball into the box and sending it at Sanchez in the 47th minute, but the junior wasn't able to get enough on it to beat Sanchez in goal.
 
Rochester sent four shots at Sanchez over the first 16 minutes of the second half, as they pressed into their offensive zone, looking for a score.
 
In the 56th minute, the Yellowjackets earned a free kick from about 29-yards out, which Natalie Santangelo sent in with a right-footed shot, but a diving save by Sanchez kept the ball from sneaking in the near post, keeping the match scoreless.
 
Cece Vassallo forced another Sanchez save in the 58th minute, while Santangelo saw her second attempt of the night blocked after the Tigers couldn't clear a 60th-minute free kick by Claudia Ferreira.
 
The Tigers, though, began to push things the other way, earning a 67th-minute corner after Elena Onodera sent an attempt wide, while Amerie Mills had her 69th-minute volley blocked.
 
Just past the 70th minute, Eli Gonzalez just missed with an attempt over the crossbar, while Eleni McGuire made her first save of the night, a sliding stop of Mills on a breakaway.
 
A little over two minutes later, though, Mills would beat McGuire to give RIT the lead. The sophomore was able to turn around on a ball inside the box and beat McGuire to the far post with a right-footed shot to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead just shy of the 74th minute.
 
Now trailing, the Yellowjackets worked their way back into the offensive zone, earning a pair of free kicks over the next 10 minutes. UR wasn't able to put a shot on goal on either, but kept pressing and forced a tremendous save by Sanchez in the 80th minute, one that took the senior keeper out of the game.
 
With some space to work after RIT couldn't clear the ball out of its offensive zone, Eileen Harvey dribbled ahead and ricocheted a pass up ahead to Santagelo, who nearly snuck it by Sanchez. But the senior, diving to try to make the save, got just enough of Santagelo's pass with her legs to deflect the ball away, keeping RIT in front for the moment.
 
However, RIT was forced to make a goalie change with Sanchez hurt, bringing in Avery Donnelly, and URochester quickly took advantage.
 
The 'Jackets earned back-to-back corners in the 80th and 81st minutes after a pass across the face of goal forced Donnelly to knock the ball away. And on the second corner, Laudy played the ball in quickly to Santangelo, who, wide open, curled a shot from just inside the box into the back of the net, leveling the score at one-all.
 
Both teams then upped the pressure over the final nine minutes, looking for the go-ahead score, as McGuire came up with a save on Neena Damodaran's free kick in the 84th minute, while Donnelly stopped Nagashima's shot from just outside the box in the 88th minute.
 
RIT would send more attempt wide from Damodaran in the final two minutes, while with the clock ticking towards zero, Santagelo nearly found Claire Baim for the game-winning score, but the ball went in after the horn, giving the Yellowjackets and Tigers a 1-1 draw.
 
Both the 'Jackets and Tigers remain unbeaten with the result, with No. 13 URochester now at 5-0-4 on the year, while RIT sits at 5-0-5.
 
McGuire played all 90 minutes in next for Rochester, allowing one goal and making two saves, while Sanchez played 79:40 and made five saves, and Donnelly allowed one goal and made one save in 10:20 in between the pipes.
 
Offensively, Santangelo led UR with four shots, putting three on goal, including the game-tying score, while Laudy notched her second assist.
 
Rochester next heads to Cleveland, OH, opening conference play against the 4th-ranked Case Western Reserve University Spartans on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 1:30 p.m.