PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester women's soccer team earned its first point in University Athletic Association play on Saturday, drawing even with New York University 1-1 in a conference matchup at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
Saturday's contest was a battle between two nationally-ranked foes, with Rochester entering the game at #18 in Division III, while NYU sat at #24 in the nation. The tie moves UR's record to 8-1-3 on the year, while NYU is now 3-2-4. Both teams are 0-1-1 after two conference games.
The Violets got a goal in the 34th minute from Sydney Freese, while URochester's
Jane Mueller scored with just over ten minutes left in the contest to pull the contest even at 1-1.
It was a defensive battle on the afternoon, with Rochester limiting NYU to just four shot attempts, three of which ended on goal. The Yellowjackets compiled ten shot attempts, with six being on frame. UR also led five to one in corner kicks over the 90 minutes.
NYU got the first scoring chance in the contest, with Sonia Neighbors slipping behind the 'Jacket defense in the sixth minute, only to see her left wing shot from the edge of the six being saved by UR's
Eleni McGuire in goal.
Two minutes later, Rochester's first shot on goal came from
Sydney Holmes, but the senior forward couldn't get enough power on the shot after a free kick header rattled around inside the box. NYU's Maddy Tohanczyn made one of her four saves to keep the contest scoreless in the early going.
A giveaway in the midfield led to the NYU first half goal in the 34th minute on a transition opportunity. The ball got passed up on the right side to Lily Smoley who circled around a defender in the box and sent a cross towards the back post. Freese was waiting there and outmuscled her defender and headed the ball into the top left corner for the 1-0 Violets lead.
The remaining 12 minutes of the half were played mostly in the midfield, with neither squad generating any shot attempts.
URochester's first shot after halftime was a good chance from junior
Natalie Santangelo. After receiving a give-and-go pass from
Delia McMullen, Santangelo unleashed a 19-yard shot from the right wing that just sailed high of the cross bar.
At the other end, NYU looked to double the lead a few minutes later, but a one-timer from 7-yards by Tusca Mahmoudpour was saved point blank by McGuire in the UR net.
Another left wing shot nearly counted for the Yellowjackets in the 58th minute, but Holmes' try from 20 yards was punched away by Tohanczyn at the top right corner of the net.
The ensuing corner kick yielded another terrific chance, but
Femke Laudy's header off a cross from
Gabi Chioccola ricocheted off the cross bar before Tohanczyn leapt up and corralled the loose ball.
Rochester's next shot of the game tied the score in the 80th minute. After a long free kick into the box by
Remi Cherkas, the ball wasn't cleared by the NYU defense and found the foot of Mueller ten yards off the line.
Mueller settled and one-touch volleyed a shot off the top of her foot over the head of Tohanczyn into the goal.
It was Mueller's first goal of the season, coming in a clutch spot for the Yellowjackets, repeating what the sophomore did last year against the Violets, also scoring the equalizer late in the game against NYU in an eventual 1-1 draw.
The goal energized the Rochester attack, with the Yellowjackets earning two more chance in the next couple of minutes. The best of those attempts was another header by Laudy, this time off a corner kick, that was cleared off the line for a team save by NYU's Mika Haggarty.
UR's Santangelo got one last shot off in the 89th minute that was saved, but the ball squirted loose off of Tohanczyn's hands towards a charging Holmes. NYU's Neighbors fended off Holmes and was able to clear the ball away for a Yellowjackets throw in as the clock ticked down.
Saturday's game ends UR's seven-game home stand, with the Yellowjackets next playing at Brandeis on October 17 at 1:30 pm. Four of the next five matchups for Rochester are on the road to close out the regular season.
