Box Score ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The University of Rochester field hockey team downed Skidmore College 1-0 in a shootout to clinch first place in the Liberty League.
Rochester improved to 12-3 overall, 6-0 in the league. The Yellowjackets are ranked #19 in the current Division III poll. Skidmore had a five-match winning streak snapped. The Thoroughbreds are 11-5 overall, 5-1 in the Liberty League heading into a Sunday match against William Smith College. Skidmore entered the game vs. Rochester ranked #17 in the Division III poll. The Thoroughbreds are #1 in the NCAA Regional Poll.
This one wasn't decided until the fifth shot of the tiebreaker. Courtney Dunham had her first shot blocked by Skidmore goalie Elizabeth Coughlin. She got to the rebound, pushed it under Coughlin, and it rolled just over the line before the eight-second time period expired.
Kayla Rose scored in round one for Skidmore. Maya Haigis evened it for Rochester. After shots by SC's Marissa Folts and Olivia Denny of Rochester were thwarted, Miranda Davenport gave Skidmore a 2-1 lead in round three. That was matched by Colleen Maillie of UR. Neither team scored in the fourth round (Sarah Winters of Skidmore, Nancy Bansbach of Rochester). Seeley Fancher's shot for SC was wide left. Dunham's shot gave Rochester the win.
This was played at a pace you would expect from two longtime rivals – both nationally ranked, both challenging for first place in the league. Rochester held a one-sided 30-8 edge in shots, 15-5 in penalty corners. But the interior Skidmore defense was able to pack into the circle. Get sticks on shots, step in the way of other shots and rely on Coughlin as well. She made 10 saves. Folts had a defensive save in the 24th minute. Coughlin blocked a shot by Rochester's Claire Dickerson. Denny had two shots – the first saved by Coughlin, the second cleared away from the line by Folts.
Late in the first half, Skidmore earned its first penalty corner. The Thoroughbreds can be dangerous with these. Skidmore scored twice on PCs in the second half to pull out a 2-1 victory over Vassar College that helped to set up the league-undefeated showdown with Rochester. A minute after that PC, with the guests still controlling in the circle, Davenport shot and Cantley knocked it away. Emily Richmond tried a followup that was blocked by the defense.
Both teams pressed on after halftime. Davenport was the force that drove Skidmore. She was in the middle to steer the ball away and then took flight on counter attacks trying to get it to people in good scoring position.
For Rochester, Maillie, Nancy Bansbach, and Miranda Lakis seemed to be in the thick of it at both ends, pushing the ball through the midfield and then on towards the circle.
In the 54th minute, Maillie ran down the right side and sent a crisp pass through the center of the circle with Dickerson and Bansbach running towards the back post. It got past everyone.
Cantley finished with six saves and her second complete game shutout. Two of her bigger stops came in the latter stages of the second half. A minute after the Maillie-Dickerson-Bansbach rush, Cantley kicked out a shot by Folts who was in the center of the circle. With two minutes left, she produced a bigger save. Davenport tried to slide it under her, but she got a stick on it and pushed it away with two visitors rushing the net.
