UR Women’s Soccer looked to continue their undefeated 3–0 record this weekend as they hosted Union and Alfred State colleges in their first home games of the season. The men, coming off a double overtime tie against St. John Fisher College at home on Tuesday, traveled to Geneva on Saturday to play Hobart College.
The host Statesmen scored in the 26th minute with a shot from the top of the box from the team’s point leader, Kyle Patrick. UR failed to answer in the first half, but junior midfielder Bryce Ikeda found the net in the 59th minute. The goal is Ikeda’s first of the season, who was third on the team for points and second in assists last season.
“It felt great putting one in the net for the team when we needed it, to level the game,” said Ikeda. “Nate hit a great cross from the left side, and Geoff made an extra effort to get a head on the ball which drew my defender from me. I was in the right place at the right time and volleyed it into the back of the net […] It was a great team goal.”
Senior goaltender Redd Brown made a total of five saves, which included one in the final minute of regulation to take the game to overtime after Hobart failed to score on a corner.
UR came close to defeating the Statesman in the fifth minute of overtime after a shot from sophomore midfielder Zach Lawlor hit the crossbar. Brown made another clutch save for the Yellowjackets with three minutes left to play in the first overtime, forcing a second round of overtime.
A low, rolling shot from Hobart forced Brown to make another save, and would be the only significant scoring opportunity for either team in the game’s final minutes. In familiar fashion, Men’s Soccer finished the weekend with another tie, leaving them with two wins and two ties on the season.
Against the visiting Dutchwomen of Union College, Women’s Soccer remained defensively strong, allowing no goals in the first half, but failed to capitalize offensively.
In the second half, the Yellowjackets gained possession by applying pressure and turning over the ball in Union’s end, and, as a result, had a few early scoring chances. In the 58th minute, senior goalkeeper Madilynne Lee challenged a player dribbling one-on-one into the box, but failed to make a save, giving Union a 1–0 lead.
Late in the half, UR forced the Union goaltender to make a deflecting save. Junior forward Kerri Eden picked up the rebound and took a rolling shot that was finished off by sophomore defender Liz Mastoloni, putting UR on the board and forcing overtime.
Scoreless after a first round of overtime, Union’s offense generated an opportunity in a second round of extra minutes, but the shot was wide of the goal. The game ended in a tie — UR’s first of the season.
The women played their second game of the weekend against an undefeated Alfred State on Sunday who were coming off a dominating 9–0 win against SUNY Cobleskill last week.
Early in the first half, the Pioneers found the net with a header from Michayla Salatel, her third goal on the season. Junior forward Pamela Chan answered later in the half after tipping in a ball during a scramble in front of the net. Twelve minutes later, sophomore Emily Henry found the top left corner of the net, giving UR a 2–1 lead at the end of the first half.
In the 59th minute, Paige Gloster shot the ball just wide of the net. Minutes later, Eden forced Alfred State’s goaltender to make a save and another wide shot from Chan followed. With 20 minutes remaining in the second half, UR was outshooting the Pioneers 19–6 and were dominating possession. Senior defender Sydney Melton was given a red card in the final minutes of the game, but the Yellowjackets remained composed and walked away with a win, improving to 4–0–1.
The women will play at home on Sept. 16 against William Smith College, with the men facing Buffalo State on the road on Tuesday.
