TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team fell to the University of Rochester in a 3-2 shootout decision this afternoon at Harkness Field.

Ria Patel and Sophia Brown each registered a goal for the Engineers, with Brown's tally marking her 15th score of the season, which is tied for tops in the conference.

Rochester opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Sofia LaFalce converted a penalty stroke to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. RPI got one in the closing seconds of the opening quarter, as Patel provided the Engineers their opening goal with 38 seconds left in the first.

After a scoreless second quarter, the Engineers surged ahead in the third. Brown capitalized on sustained pressure to tally her score five minutes into the second half to give RPI a 2-1 advantage. The Engineers dominated the third quarter with a 9-0 shot advantage and five penalty corners.

Rochester found the tying goal late in the fourth quarter, when Cassidy Romano finished a pass from Kyla Byer to make it 2-2 with two and half minutes to play. The game remained tied through regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods, forcing a shootout. The Yellowjackets executed flawlessly in the shootout, converting on all three of their attempts. 

RPI held a 19-15 edge in total shots and a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal. Goalie Tess Garchinsky made one save for the Engineers and Houston finished with eight stops for Rochester, including four in the third quarter alone to keep her team within reach.

RPI returns to the field on Wednesday for a non-conference meeting at New Paltz.