PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – University of Rochester women's soccer dropped its Senior Day matchup against the 12th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University Tartans, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
The Tartans put the pressure on Rochester's defense early, forcing
Kate Cunningham to make a pair of early saves as Carnegie Mellon took five shots over the first 10 minutes of play.
Just two seconds in, Helena Locateli blasted the opening kickoff towards goal, forcing Cunningham to make a leaping save on a ball that nearly got over her head. Then, after Lauren Ricapito couldn't put her header on frame just shy of the three-minute mark, Cunningham had to make a diving stop on a long-range shot from Audrey Bianco in the fourth minute.
Nicole Matute then came up with a team save on a left-footed shot in front of goal by Alma Zhong that got past Cunningham in the sixth minute, while Bianco sent another shot wide in the eighth minute, one-timing a shot from the top of the box just high.
In total, Carnegie Mellon outshot Rochester, 8-0, in the first half, putting four of those eight shots on goal.
The Tartans would finally break through in the 29th minute, as Bianco beat her defender down the left side, a cross in got through the Yellowjacket defense, and Arianna Peart came back to get it, curling in a shot from 11 yards out past the outstretched arms of Cunningham to give Carnegie Mellon a 1-0 lead.
Keira Chang's shot wide in the 32nd minute would be the lone shot the rest of the period, as URochester headed into halftime down a goal without a shot.
Rochester would pick things up offensively in the second half, with six shots, three of which went on goal, while the Tartans added another seven shots to their ledge, two of which were on target.
Ava Schmidt tallied the Yellowjackets' first shot of the contest in the 50th minute, sailing a shot high from just inside the box.
Bianco then nearly made it 2-0 with a 24-yard strike that nearly curled into the far post from the right wing just past the 50-minute mark, before forcing Cunningham to come up with one of her two second-half saves off a free kick in the 53rd minute.
The Yellowjackets earned their first of two corners in the 62nd minute, and
Remi Cherkas put a headed shot on goal, but Maddie Kellogg made her first of three saves to keep Rochester off the board.
Kellogg would make another save on
Hannah Nagashima's left-footed shot in the 72nd minute, and then came up with another stop off a free kick in the 85th minute. Cherkas took the free kick from about 36-yards out, and Schmidt was able to volley it on net, but Kellogg dived to her left to make the save.
Rochester would get one more opportunity with a little over 30 seconds left on a free kick from 29-yards out, right in the middle of the field, but
Maya Bravo fired it wide, and the Tartans would finish off their 1-0 victory.
The loss drops Rochester to 8-3-5 (0-3-3 UAA) on the year, while the Tartans move to 9-3-3 (3-2-1 UAA) with the win.
Schmidt led URochester with two shots, one of which was on goal, while Cunningham made four saves.
The Yellowjackets next head to Atlanta, GA, to wrap up the regular season with a matchup against the Emory University Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1:30 p.m.
