Overtime has not fared well thus far this season for the UR women’s soccer team. After winning at Carnegie Mellon University, 1-0, on Friday, the Yellowjackets traveled to Atlanta, Ga. to take on the Emory University Eagles. The Eagles managed to get the better of the ‘Jackets after over 100 minutes of work, notching a 1-0 victory. It was the second double-overtime loss UR has suffered in the last four games.
‘It was just really frustrating to play that hard for almost 110 minutes and then to end up with a loss,” sophomore forward and UR’s leading scorer Bridgette Varin said of the game against Emory.
The split over the weekend puts the ‘Jackets at 10-2-2 overall and 2-2 in University Athletic Association play.
In Sunday’s game against the Eagles who are ranked No. 18 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll this week the Yellowjackets came out fighting.
‘In the first 15 minutes of the game, we absolutely dominated them,” Varin said. ‘We had three or four really dangerous scoring opportunities, but none of them played out for us.”
Emory, however, fought back, logging six corner kicks and 11 shots through the course of the game and forcing sophomore goalie Celeste Hornbach to make five saves.
The Eagles finally capitalized in the 106th minute of play, sealing the victory and moving up into second place in the UAA.
‘We played hard,” Varin said. ‘All of us were still a little worn out from the game before, but we played through it.”
The previous game was UR’s match-up in Pittsburgh, Pa. against the Tartans of Carnegie. The ‘Jackets came out of the gate looking sharp.
Just over five minutes into the game against the Tartans, UR was on the board.
Senior forward Laura Bojko crossed a ball into the box for senior midfielder Sarah Goico, who was able to lob the ball over the Carnegie goalie’s head and into the back of the net. The goal was Goico’s third of the season and first in conference.
For the rest of the game, the ‘Jackets contained the Tartans, not allowing a shot on goal or a corner kick in all 90 minutes of play, while, at the same time, sustaining offensive pressure.
‘The defense shut down [Carnegie’s] leading scorer, not letting her turn or create any scoring opportunities,” Varin said. ‘We had a ton of chances to score so the score should have been at least 3-0.”
Carnegie came into the game on a two-game losing skid in conference play and failed to rise to the level of play that the ‘Jackets assumed.
‘This was the first game where every single person played their hardest for 90 minutes, and it showed us what we can accomplish when we do that,” Varin said.
Last night, the ‘Jackets got back on track, beating the Nazareth College Golden Flyers, 2-1.
Bojko put UR on the board early. Junior midfielder Mae Butler played a corner kick into the box, and junior defender Lindsay Rood helped the ball along to Bojko, who put it past the Nazareth goalie to give the ‘Jackets a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute of play.
Butler provided the insurance goal 25 minutes into the second half, and the Yellowjackets never looked back, beating the Flyers for the first time in three years.
Hornback finished the game with two saves.
UR dropped one spot in the NSCAA poll this week to No. 19. The ‘Jackets will pick up competition on Oct. 31 against Washington University in St. Louis at home. The game is part of the Students’ Association’s ‘Fill Fauver” initiative.
Hilfinger is a member of the class of 2010.
