Courtesy of RITAthletics.com
ROCHESTER, NY — Junior co-captain Riley Yankowich (Deerfield Beach, FL/Germantown Academy)scored in the 88th minute to give the RIT (2-0-0) women’s soccer team a 2-1 win over SUNY Oneonta (0-2-0) on day two of the Rachel Miller Memorial Tournament on a picturesque Saturday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.
Yankowich scored off a corner kick from Emily Thiel (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) with just over two minutes left in regulation give the Tigers their second win in less than 24 hours. Yesterday, RIT defeated Allegheny College, 3-0 to open the regular season.
“I am happy with how the weekend ended,” said RIT head coach Liz Masterson. “Today was a high intensity game, which we needed. I thought we played a great team game, which made all the difference.”
RIT dominated in shots, taking 21 to seven for the Red Dragons. The Tigers took seven corner kicks to five for SUNY Oneonta. Kelly Rogers (Ardmore, PA/Haverford) got the win in net for RIT, making four saves. Emilie Mull took the loss for Oneonta, making five saves.
The Tigers did not take long to get on the scoreboard as Piper Zimmerman (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge)scored off an assist from Abbey Saia (Monroe, CT/Masuk) in the third minute. Saia got around her defender out on the flank and sent a service into the Oneonta penalty area. Mull came out to intercept the cross, but Zimmerman got there first and headed the ball home for her first collegiate goal.
Oneonta tied the game shortly after on a goal from Amanda Roney in the 15th minute. Laura Rolston sent a long ball that Roney ran onto. She got behind her defender and scored into the far corner to tie the score at 1-1.
Zimmerman had another chance late in the first half when she fired a shot just wide from 20 yards out. Seaver Lipshie had a great chance for the Red Dragons with a minute to play in the half, but Rogers was equal to the task and made the save.
The Tigers took control of possession in the second half, firing 12 shots. Marla Roberts (Penfield, NY/Home Schooled) had a chance with 23 minutes to play in regulation, when she fired a shot from 10 yards out that Mull saved. Courtney Hunt (Brockport, NY/Brockport) had a great chance with five minutes to play when she fired a shot just over the crossbar off a loose ball inside the Oneonta penalty box.
Oneonta’s best chance on the second half came with about seven minutes to play when Kayla Belush fired a shot from 20 yards out. Rogers saw the shot the whole way and made the save.
Late in the contest, RIT put the pressure on the Red Dragons and earned a corner kick. Thiel sent a ball towards the back post that Yankowich headed over Mull, who had strayed off her line. It was Yankowich’s first goal of the season.
With the win, RIT improves to 7-1-1 all time versus Oneonta. It is the fourth time in Masterson’s eight seasons that RIT has started 2-0. The last time was in 2014, when, like this season, the Tigers opened the season with wins over Oneonta and Allegheny at the Rachel Miller Memorial Tournament.
The Tigers return to action next Saturday when they face 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Farmingdale State in the opening round of the Misericordia Tournament in Dallas, PA.
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