PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – An early penalty kick converted by
Milos Bisenic gave the Yellowjackets the lead, while
Pasquale Carusone doubled URochester's lead late to help the University of Rochester men's soccer defeat the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles, 2-0, in its home opener on Saturday evening at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
The victory gets the Yellowjackets in the win column for the first time this season, moving to 1-1 on the season, while Brockport drops to 1-1 with the loss.
Both teams quickly settled into the contest, with the Golden Eagles earning the game's first corner just 35 seconds in, while Bisenic put Rochester's seventh-minute corner on net, forcing one of three saves by Brockport's AJ Nelson.
The Golden Eagles earned another corner in the 10th minute and nearly found the back of the net just past the 11th-minute mark, but a team save by
Kyle Wong kept Max Maouris' shot off a Brockport throw-in out of the back of the net.
On the ensuing corner kick, Peter Tinaj's volley sailed high, while the Golden Eagles forced
Aidan Hartman's first of three saves a little over four minutes later. Ryan Mathis' free kick from 24-yards out clanged off the near post, while Khadim Amar's header forced a diving stop by Hartman in the 16th minute.
URochester took things the other way on the counter, as
Johnny Makula found Bisenic ahead in some space. The ball eventually made its way back to Makula, who drew a foul just inside the box to earn Rochester a penalty kick. Bisenic took the kick for UR and sent it in the opposite direction of a diving Nelson to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
Defensively, and with the lead, Hartman and the Yellowjackets would hold Brockport without a shot the rest of the period, while Rochester had several chances off the counterattack. Makula saw a pair of shots blocked down the first-half stretch, in the 23rd minute and later on in the 35th minute, while
Tomoki Hirayama twice just missed the mark.
Hirayama's header off a free kick in the 28th minute sailed wide, as did his shot in a one-on-one opportunity with eight minutes left, off a through ball from
Finn Basobas O'Carroll.
The Yellowjackets took their 1-0 lead into the halftime break, but came out for the second half searching for more. Makula's right-footed shot in the 49th minute across the face of goal and past the outstretched arms of Nelson hit the post, while Nelson saved
Will Fallona's blast just over a minute later.
SUNY Brockport got back on the offensive and saw a pair of shots blocked, while Amar sent another header wide, before forcing Hartman to come up with a stop in the 72nd minute. Off a throw-in, Amar flicked a header on goal, but Hartman was there to make the save, as UR's defense continued to stand firm.
Finally, though, in the 78th minute, the Yellowjackets would break through again, doubling their lead off the foot of Carusone.
Mikey Burke curled in a long cross from midfield on the right, and found Carusone, just onside with some room to maneuver. Carusone settled the pass and one-timed the ball with his left foot into the back of the net to give URochester a two-goal lead.
Carusone's goal would solidify the lead, while Hartman and the 'Jacket defense would do the rest, holding the Golden Eagles without a shot the rest of the way, and to just one late corner in the 88th minute before the final buzzer sounded.
As a team, Rochester outshot Brockport, 11-8, and 5-3 on goal, while both Hartman and Nelson each made three saves in goal for their respective sides.
Makula led the 'Jackets with three shots, while Bisenic and Fallona each had two. Burke earned the lone assist of the contest, while Bisenic and Carusone tallied the first and second goals of the season for the Yellowjackets.
Rochester next takes on SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7:00 p.m. at Edwin Fauver Stadium, continuing a stretch of three-straight SUNY schools to open the 2026 campaign.
