PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Behind a pair of terrific scores, the University of Rochester men's soccer earned a 2-0 win over the St. John Fisher University Cardinals on Wednesday evening inside Edwin Fauver Stadium.
The Yellowjackets would first get on the scoreboard in the 14th minute, as
Pasquale Carusone one-timed a left-wing cross from
Nico Ranieri into the back of the net.
Finn Basobas O'Carroll found Ranieri on the near side, whose cross connected with Carusone's foot just in front of the far post and then found the upper-left corner of the net.
Carusone's 14th-minute goal gave Rochester a 1-0 lead, and was one of the 'Jackets' 18 shots and nine shots on goal on the evening.
St. John Fisher put together the first offensive opportunity of the contest just past the eight-minute mark, as
Aidan Hartman saved Kaden Haslinger's shot from the near side, while Alec Griswold blasted a high shot above goal just seconds later, resulting in a goal kick.
Rochester would go up 1-0 on Carusone's goal just shy of the 13-and-a-half minute mark, and nearly made it 2-0 on
Alessio Cristanetti-Walker's chip shot that forced Parker Stusek's first of six saves in the 15th minute.
Cristanetti-Walker sailed another attempt in the 17th minute, while Stusek came up with another save in the 24th minute, stopping
Johnny Makula's right-footed shot off a diagonal ball.
Stusek would corral another three saves before the halftime buzzer, keeping the Yellowjackets from extending their one-goal lead.
Despite some fancy footwork from Carusone just shy of the 41-minute mark, Stusek made a diving stop to keep the junior from notching his second goal of the night. While on the rebound, Stusek made another stop on Basobas O'Carroll's attempt, before
Van Dietrich missed wide left.
Trailing 1-0, the Cardinals would go on the offensive to start the second half, putting the pressure on Hartman and URochester's defense as St. John Fisher earned a pair of corners in the first five minutes of the second half.
On the Cardinals' first set piece, Hartman had to make a diving stop on Jack Tamburino's header, while on the ensuing corner, Colin Guilfoyle blasted a shot just over the bar.
Fisher earned two more corners over the next five minutes, but the 'Jacket defense kept St. John Fisher from getting a shot off on both tries.
Rochester took things the other way, and threatened with a trio of shots, as Cristanetti-Walker missed left in the 56th minute, Ranieri clanged a shot off the crossbar at the 58:30 mark, and
Jared Golden blasted a shot over goal less than a minute later after the Yellowjackets earned a corner.
Stusek would make another save on Makula's attempt, crossed in from Golden, in the 72nd minute, and then added a third on a shot by Makula in the 80th minute.
The Yellowjackets earned a free kick from just outside the box, on the far side of the field. Makula curled a shot towards the near post, but Stusek made a leaping save. However, the Fisher keeper couldn't corral the rebound.
The ball was lifted back in and popped up in the air, bouncing towards
Sebastian Ballesteros about 24-yards from goal. And the sophomore did not miss, shooting a howitzer past a diving Stusek into the lower-right corner of goal to double URochester's lead.
Hartman would add one more save before the final buzzer sounded, as the 'Jackets finished off the 2-0 victory, their fourth-straight against the crosstown Cardinals.
With the win, the Yellowjackets even their record at 2-2-2, while St. John Fisher drops to 1-3-1.
Makula led the 'Jackets on offense with five shots, putting three on goal, while Cristanetti-Walker tallied three. Hartman made three saves in goal, stopping all three of the Cardinals' shots on goal, as Rochester outshot their crosstown counterparts, 18-9, and 9-3 on goal.
The Yellowjackets are back on the road for their next contest, traveling to Potsdam, NY, for a matchup at Clarkson University on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2:00 p.m.
