KEENE, NH – The University of Rochester women's soccer team picked up its second shutout in as many games and enjoyed an offensive outburst in a 6-0 win over Gordon College at the Keene State Denise Lyons '90 Kickoff Classic.
19th-ranked URochester moves to 2-0 on the young season, while Gordon drops to 0-1 to start the year.
For the day, the Yellowjackets picked up nine assists on the six tallies, tying for the second-most in a single-game in program history, and most since the 2003 season.
Additionally, with three individual assists,
Sydney Holmes matched the program record in that category, being the first player with three helpers since 2023. She becomes just the eighth player in team history to accomplish that feat.
The first goal of the game came quickly, as just 35 seconds in,
Natalie Santangelo continued her hot start to the season with a goal from three yards off the line. The left-footed shot was set up perfectly by a cross from the left side by
Claudia Ferreira, with Holmes also registering an assist after a lead pass up.
Gordon's first shot of the game was a strong one-on-five effort from Eowyn Lapp, who sprinted up the left side and fired a hard shot on net, which forced
Eleni McGuire to make a lunging save.
It was nearly a mirror image for UR's second goal of the contest, this one by
Femke Laudy near the edge of the six in the 12th minute. The two assists were by again by Ferreira and Holmes, with the order reversed though, as Holmes was the one who sent the cross in from the left. Laudy's goal was the first of her career.
Eleven minutes later, the lead was increased to 3-0 after
Eileen Harvey deposited a penalty kick goal into the net. The PK was awarded after a foul in the box by the Fighting Scots.
UR's offensive onslaught continued in the first half, with two more goals coming less than three minutes apart, boosting the lead to 5-0.
At 30:54,
Haidi Schoenberger camped in front and tapped in a cross pass from the wing for her first goal of the season. It was another double-assist play, as
Maria Petrakis sent the ball up to the right corner to
Sienna Moss who was left unmarked and curled in a ball towards the goal mouth.
In the 34th minute,
Stella Van Arsdale got in on the scoring parade with a goal, her first of the season.
After a turnover in midfield, UR's
Ava Schmidt settled and sent a rainbow pass over the defense where Van Arsdale was waiting. The 'Jacket first-year ran up on the ball and took an 8-yard left-footed shot that snuck inside the right post.
The Fighting Scots' Lapp had another good attempt to get Gordon on the board in the 37th minute, but her strike from just inside the box was punched over the crossbar by McGuire in net.
Late in the game, Santangelo notched her second of the game, and third of the season off a give-and-go play in the midfield. Laudy started the play in the Yellowjackets half of the pitch, sending a pass up to
Delia McMullen. McMullen settled and swung the ball outside to Holmes who one-touched a left foot pass up ahead of the defense.
Santangelo was able to sprint past the defender and beat the Gordon keeper on the right side for the sixth goal of the game.
Rochester's six scores were the most for the team since a 6-0 triumph over Buffalo State in September of 2024.
In goal, McGuire finished with four saves in 76 minutes for the Yellowjackets, while
Kate Cunningham finished off the shutout, making two stops in her 14 minutes of work.
UR concludes the Keene State event with a 11 am matchup on Sunday against Wentworth Institute of Technology.
