PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – For the second-straight contest, the 24th-ranked University of Rochester women's soccer team battled to a stalemate, drawing with the Clarkson University Golden Knights, 1-1, on Saturday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
The 'Jackets got off to a hot start, pressing forward offensively and earning a corner just past the 13-minute mark of the first half. But neither Ava Schmidt nor Addi Verdon was able to find the back of the net with their fourth and 14th-minute shots.
 
Clarkson put together their first offensive attack a little over 16 minutes into the contest, with a shot from Paige Ford going wide, while Brooke Everest had her first attempt blocked, and a second saved by Sydney Moore.
 
Ava Schmidt put URochester's first shot on goal in the 30th minute, forcing Isabelle Wood to make her first of eight saves, while Delia McMullen nearly gave Rochester the lead in the 32nd minute.
 
Claudia Ferreira sent a long ball through the Clarkson defense, giving McMullen a one-on-one opportunity with Wood. But McMullen's shot clanged off the left post, preventing Rochester from taking a 1-0 lead.
 
And after Wood came up with another save on a header from Remi Cherkas, Clarkson scored off a corner in the 43rd minute to take the lead. Julia Tylar assisted Lillian Gillett's score off the set piece, as Gillett's left-footed volleyball shot past Moore into the back of the net to give the Golden Knights the lead.
 
Following another save from Wood, Rochester headed into the halftime break down by a score, but it wouldn't take long for UR to find the equalizer.
 
URochester earned a corner kick less than two-and-a-half minutes into the second, pushing forward, looking to level the score. Cherkas' attempt went wide, but the 'Jackets earned a free kick two minutes later, and on the rebound, tied the score at one.
 
A foul on Gillett gave UR a free kick from 32-yards out, and while Wood saved Cherkas' initial header, Femke Laudy tapped in the rebound to give Rochester its first goal of the match and even the score at one-all.
 
And with the score even at one, Rochester continued to push on the offensive, looking to take their first lead of the contest with 10 second-half shots.  
 
Natalie Santangelo forced another Wood save in the 52nd minute, outrunning the Clarkson defense, but just couldn't beat the Golden Knights' keeper. Then, after another pair of corner kicks, Cherkas sent one wide of the mark, and twice UR was called offside on offensive attacks.
 
Defensively, Rochester held Clarkson without a shot in the second half, but despite 10 shots, six of which were on goal in the second period, the Yellowjackets couldn't find that second score.
 
In the 79th minute, Maya Bravo crossed the ball into a charging Claire Baim, but the sophomore couldn't quite get enough on the ball to get it past the keeper Wood. Then, in the 83rd minute, following a UR corner, one of eight on the evening and six in the second half, Hannah Nagashima popped the first of her two shots at Wood, forcing a pair of saves. And in-between in the 87th minute, Laudy's left-footed shot was blocked by the Clarkson defense.
 
Clarkson then defended and cleared a late corner kick before the final buzzer sounded, with Rochester and Clarkson tied at one.
 
With the draw, both Clarkson and UR now sit at 1-0-2 on the year.
 
Individually, Cherkas and Nagashima each had a team-high four shots, while Moore made one save and allowed one goal in net.
 
As a team, Rochester outshot Clarkson, 17-4, and 9-2 on goal, but Wood made eight saves.
 
The Yellowjackets next hit the road for the first time this season, making the short trip to Pittsford, NY for a crosstown matchup against the Nazareth University Golden Flyer on Sept. 10 at 4:00 p.m.