Box Score

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Sophomore Lara Bucarey (Blairstown, NJ/Blairstown) scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season late in the first half to carry the University of Rochester to a 1-0 field hockey victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Edwin Fauver Stadium.

The Yellowjackets improved to 8-6 overall, 2-4 in the Liberty League. RPI is 5-9 overall, 2-4 in the Liberty League. The Red Hawks have lost four consecutive games and remain winless on the road.

Bucarey struck with 28:49 elapsed. Rochester played the ball into the circle and Kari Plewniak (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) ran to the back post trying to knock it in. Her shot went off a couple of sticks and rolled just outside the right post where Bucarey shoved it into the open goal.

RPI held the upper hand for much of the first half and forced five penalty corners in the first five minutes of play. Thirteen minutes into the match, Shaine Feldmann (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville Area) shot just wide of the right post from five yards away.

Later in the half, each team missed a good chance to break the scoreless deadlock. With 15:29 to play, Rochester’s Amada Case (McLean, VA/Langley) shot just wide of the left post from right wing as teammate Valerie Lazickas (Clarence, NY/Clarence) ran towards the net. A minute later, RPI’s Michelle Clemente (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) got free on a breakaway. She evaded the last defender and fired at goal from six yards out. Rochester goaltender Rachel Cahan (Evanston, IL/North Shore Country Day) parried the shot and Erica Gelb (Baltimore, MD/Park School) cleared the rebound.

Cahan finished with 10 saves for the Yellowjackets and posted her second complete game shutout this year. Lauren Fernandes (Orange, OH/Orange) made three saves for RPI.

Ten minutes into the second half, Sandy Turnbull (Upperville, VA/Chatham Hall) rushed the goal and Rochester’s Maeghan Kirsch (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) poked the ball free before she could shoot. With just under nine minutes left, an RPI penalty corner found its way to the stick of Megan McNamara (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown). Her shot from right wing was deflected by Cahan who sprawled full length to get to the back post.

Plewniak nearly doubled the Rochester lead in the final two minutes. She came through on a counter attack, worked the ball free from a defender, and backhanded a shot just past the far right post.