UR Men’s Soccer (URMS) pounded out wins during the Flower City tournament last weekend and against Hobart College on Saturday. The ‘Jackets came out victorious in all competitions while showcasing a strong blend of offensive firepower and defensive prowess.
The Yellowjackets (3–0–0) opened their season by prevailing 1–0 over Kean University (4–1–0) on Sept. 2. It was a hard-fought contest that saw junior Alex DiPerna score the decisive goal at 59:02 on a header off a deflection.
UR was able to maintain a good degree of control throughout the game, outshooting Kean 12–4, including 6–1 on goal. They also attempted nine corner kicks while their opponent attempted none. The score remained at a slim margin for the final 30 minutes, and Kean produced a brief scare in the seventy-first minute, when they narrowly deflected the ball off the right post.
Perhaps motivated to put their next foe away for good early in the tournament, the ‘Jackets served up an onslaught in the first half of their final tournament game on Sept. 3. They opened the scoring at 7:35 on a breakaway by Mario Yanez Tapia, one of six first-half goals by the team against Keuka College (2–1–0) that eventually led to an 8–1 victory.
These goals came in waves, with two coming in a span of 1:07 and another three coming over a span of 5:33. The team achieved a strong statistical edge in the first game, and showcased complete domination in that regard against Keuka.
URMS outshot the visitors 21–4, including a staggering 15–1 on shots-on-goal. Freshman Mitch Volis scored two goals, with one each by junior Aleks Dombrowski; a group of freshmen: Zach Lawlor, Aidan Miller and Cristian Baltier; and DiPerna, who was named tournament MVP.
Dombrowski, sophomores Bryce Ikeda, Lucas Loecher, and Milan Fatschel, junior Peter Martin, and freshman Gabe Sarch all tallied assists for the day.
“We have a tight-knit group, all committed to our shared vision,” co-captain Jeff Greblick, who earned Best Offensive Player honors in the tournament and scored the game-winning goal against Hobart on Saturday, said.
“I think this attitude [will] bring us success and will continue to push us in upcoming games. […] We have to remind ourselves to continue to develop and grow as a team and to not become complacent.”
URMS will attempt to extend their stellar play against Buffalo State on Tuesday.
UR Women’s Soccer (URWS), hosts of the same tournament, lost in their opener on Friday afternoon, but managed to secure a 1–1 tie against Geneseo (1–0–2).
The Yellowjackets (0–2–2) found themselves in an early hole as the Knights found the goal in the fifth minute. UR, however, produced a steady run of offensive pressure in the late minutes of the half, culminating in the equalizer at 37:05, which came on a blast by sophomore Hannah Wadsworth from the right wing, with the assist from sophomore McKenzie Runyan.
With just 30 seconds left to play, the ‘Jackets mounted one final attack.
Freshman striker Jorie Freitag threaded the ball to sophomore Kerri Eden, who had positioned herself close to the goal. Eden drove a shot to the low left post, but the Geneseo goalkeeper made a save just in the nick of time. Quickly attempting to capitalize on the rebound, Eden took another shot, but it was blocked by a defender seconds before the final horn sounded.
There were encouraging signs out of the tie, but nonetheless, URWS outshot their opponents 15–5, displaying their ability to maintain pressure on the opposing defense.
The team’s next tournament game, on Sunday against Montclair State (4–0–1), ended with a similar result to the first, resulting in a scoreless tie in a game that went into double-overtime. The Red Hawks presented a stout defense, ranked thirteenth in that category, according to Kenneth Massey’s online ratings.
Though they failed to score, the ‘Jackets were able to match their opponent’s strength on that end of the ball, thanks in large part to sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Hlavac, who was named the tournament’s Best Defensive Player. This was due to her 158 minutes of spotless goalkeeping, including 110 minutes in the final game, along with her five saves.
The stats depicted an evenly matched game, as the hosts were narrowly outshot 12–11, and had a 5–2 edge in the category during the overtime periods.
The Yellowjackets then played their third straight home game to open the season, against Buffalo State (3–0–1). The hosts produced another 10 shots this time, but none found the back of the net for the second straight game. The Tigers, meanwhile, scored the difference-maker early in the second half, accounting for the 1–0 final score.
Again, there were late opportunities for URWS, including a header shot by junior Hayley Orciuch that sailed just too high, as well as an attempt from the penalty spot by sophomore McKenzie Runyan that was saved with five minutes remaining.
The same narrative took place for UR at Union on Saturday, as the Dutchwomen (1–0–3) scored early. Missed offensive opportunities overshadowed a clean defensive front put up by the Yellowjackets.
Despite mixed results so far, the ‘Jackets are optimistic. Senior Midfielder Jean Chakmakas referred to the team’s early play as “very strong defensively,” and mentioned that they have “continued to prove at positioning in each game.”
The senior is “confident that the team will finish more on scoring opportunities going forward.” URWS will have their next chance to break through offensively when they play at the Upstate Collegiate Cup in Ithaca this weekend.
