PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester field hockey team clinched its spot in the Liberty League conference tournament on Saturday evening, defeating visiting St. Lawrence University 5-0 at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
Junior
Erin Foley recorded a hat trick and added an assist in her career day, finishing with seven points, cracking the top-10 in single-game points in URochester field hockey history.
Sophia Marcotte and
Gloria McDonald added the other goals for the Yellowjackets in the victory.
The win moves Rochester to 10-6 overall on the season and levels the teams conference record at 3-3. With only one game to play in the Liberty League regular season schedule, the Yellowjackets have clinched a top-5 finish in the conference and spot in the Liberty League playoffs based on their prior results so far this season.
Rochester started quick, with Marcotte finding the back of the net just 64 seconds into the game. The play started on a penalty corner, with Foley looping around the right side of the circle before sending a cross towards the goal mouth. The ball slipped through the defense and found the stick of Marcotte at the left post for a 1-timer shot that ended with the sophomore's first goal of 2026.
St. Lawrence answered with a penalty corner at the other end in the next 40 seconds, but the Saints (5-9, 1-6 Liberty League) were unable to get a shot attempt off of the set play.
The lead doubled to 2-0 at the 7:42 mark of the first quarter when Foley slapped in a backhand shot off a rebound of a blocked
Molly Newbold attempt.
In the final minute of the period, St. Lawrence got its first shot off, that by Lily Gubbins, but Rochester keeper
Riley Leeser was there for the save, keeping it a 2-0 Yellowjacket lead.
Two and a half minutes into the second period, McDonald made it 3-0 Rochester tapping-in a goal out of mid-air.
After a penalty corner, the ball made its way to the right post where inserter
Sophia Cuneo was able to gain possession. Cuneo flipped a cross up-and-over SLU keeper Stella Gizzi where McDonald was left alone at the back post, tapping in the goal into the low left corner.
The Yellowjackets kept applying the pressure throughout the rest of the half, eventually making it a 4-0 lead with just over 90 seconds left in the second. Foley blasted a right wing shot from the edge of the circle to the low left corner of the cage after Hannah Metha's penalty corner shot was initially blocked by the Saints defense.
Shortly after halftime, the Saints earned back-to-back penalty corners and nearly broke through for a goal on the second of those chances.
Hannah Sweatt received a pass from Gubbins at the right post and tried to stuff in a shot as Leeser was recovering after coming off her line, but defender
Cassidy Romano was in a good position and was able to make the defensive save, preserving the shutout.
Foley eventually made it 5-0 in favor of the Yellowjackets in the 39th minute, ripping another hard shot from a tough angle along the right side into the low left corner of the net. Foley now has seven goals on the season, a new single-season career-high for the reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Year.
Rochester was able to cruise the rest of the way, only surrendering a pair of shots to the Saints over final 20 minutes. UR ended the contest with a 20-7 lead in shots and 13-9 advantage in penalty corners.
In goal, Leeser made three saves in three quarters, while
Madeline Mitchell made one save and helped finish off the clean sheet. Gizzi had four saves for the Saints and yielded the final period to Stella Zimmer in goal, with Zimmer adding three saves to SLU's total.
Rochester has a non-conference matchup next Wednesday evening at Oswego State (7 pm) before closing the regular season at home against William Smith next Saturday.
