ATLANTA – The University of Rochester soccer team earned the program's first-ever victory in Atlanta on Saturday, defeating Emory University 4-2 at the Woodruff Physical Education Center.
URochester (6-7-5, 3-2-2 UAA) ended up playing spoiler in the chase for the UAA title, as the Eagles (11-3-4, 3-2-2 UAA), with a victory, would have earned the conference crown.
After all was said and done, the Yellowjackets ended the 2026 season in a 5-way log jam, tying for second in the UAA standings with 11 team points. Case Western Reserve University squeaked out the UAA title with 13 points across the seven games.
Saturday's matchup was a back-and-forth affair, with two ties and three lead changes in the contest.
The Yellowjackets got the scoring started in the later half of the first period on a transition goal, as
Johnny Makula took a through ball from Pasqual Carusone and slipped a shot from the edge of the box into the low right corner of the net.
Makula's goal was his third of the season and one of just two shot attempts by the Yellowjackets in the opening half.
The rest of the games scoring all came after intermission, with Emory notching the equalizer in the 57th minute off a corner kick. Ewen Robertson's tenth tally of the season was a header at the back post off a corner kick by Jeremiah Cateau.
14 minutes later,
Lucas Lee put the Yellowjackets back in front, scoring a terrific free kick strike from 25 yards. Lee's goal was a perfectly placed curling ball into the left side of the net, just inside the post and passed the outstretched arms of Emory keeper Geoffrey Halpern.
URochester's lead did not last long though, as Emory was able to convert another corner kick into additional equalizing tally.
It was Robertson once again scoring for the Eagles. In a similar look to the first goal, Cateau sent the service to the back post, this time to Jack Yough, who headed the ball back in front towards Robertson for the header goal into the left side of the net.
The Yellowjackets were able to convert off a set piece five minutes later as
Will Fallona converted what would be the game-winning goal in the 81st minute. After a foul set up the Yellowjackets along the right wing 30 yards off the end line, a quick restart allowed Carusone to sprint to the edge of the box and send a ball on net that was mishandled by Halpern.
With the goalie unable to corral the ball, Fallona raced to the edge of the six and slammed in the rebound for the 3-2 UR lead.
URochester completed the scoring with a heads up play on another transition goal at 85:32.
After a long throw in was caught by keeper
Aidan Hartman, URochester's
Brennan Franklin sneakily jogged a bit back towards midfield before sprinting out, noticing the Eagle defense was up way to high, beyond midfield.
Hartman saw this as well and hurled a perfect lead ball up to Franklin who was already behind the defense, and ended up chipping a shot over the goalkeeper who was way up high in an effort to break up the play, into the net for the key insurance marker.
The goalkeeper assist was Hartman's first of his career, with the graduate student adding three saves between the pipes for the Yellowjackets.
One additional save was made by grad student
Mikey Burke, denying Robertson a hat trick in the 87th minute. The shot came from the middle of the box along the left wing after Hartman went down following a challenge of a long kick in, but Burke and two other defenders were there to keep the ball out of the net, preserving the two-goal lead.
Overall in the game, Emory ended up leading 24-8 in shot attempts and 8-2 in corner kicks, but the Yellowjackets won where it mattered in the goals column.
