Smith Nets 2 OT Winner to Lead UR Past #15 CMU
Senior Jessica Smith capped off her senior day in the best way possible, scoring 6:42 into the second overtime to lead the University of Rochester women's soccer team to a 3-2 upset victory over #15 ranked Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday afternoon.
Smith scored on a 20 yard lob shot off a headed pass from teammate Kim Stagg in the 107th minute. Smith's shot just cleared the outstretched arms of Carnegie Mellon keeper Katie Liston and fell into the right corner of the goal. It was Smith's team leading 12th goal of the season.
The win is Rochester's first in the UAA in the last 16 games for the Yellowjackets (6-6-4, 1-3-2 UAA). Carnegie drops to 9-3-2 on the year including a 3-2-1 mark in the UAA.
The visiting Tartans struck early when Carson Quiros headed in a corner kick from Brittany Couture just 6:07 into the contest.
UR's Smith was able to answer 11 minutes later when her shot from the right wing, scoring her first of two scores on the day.
CMU would then regain its lead at 27:55 when Jordyn Greenberg headed in a Rachel Contopoulos corner kick for a 2-1 lead.
Late in the half, UR would even the score again, this time it was freshman Kim Stagg scoring her first career goal at Rochester. The goal came with under a minute to play in the first period off a corner kick from teammate Gabriella Goddette. Goddette's corner was sent into the box and was headed by freshman Jean Chakmakas right to Stagg who was all alone at the far post to even the score.
Shots were even at 4-4 apiece in the first period with Carnegie Mellon holding a slim 3-2 edge in corners.
After the teams couldn't find the net in the second half, UR earned two great chances to end the game halfway through the first overtime period. The first was from the senior Smith who chipped the ball in between two defenders and shot the ball just wide of the CMU net leading to the second chance, a Kathryn Rowe shot from a bad angle that slid just wide.
Shortly after, Carnegie Mellon's Savina Reid took a long shot from the left wing that hit the crossbar just over UR keeper Allison Bernstein's reach.
The Tartans had three great opportunities to end the game three minutes into the second OT when Couture, Alex Venegas and Contopoulos earning shots at the Yellowjacket net. The first was blocked by the defense, the second saved by Bernstein and the third flew wide. The no goals would then set the stage for Smith to score her final Fauver Stadium goal with just 3:18 remaining in the game.
In the goals, the senior Bernstein picked up the win making four saves while Liston stopped two UR shots in the contest picking up her first loss of the season.
The regular season concludes next Saturday for both squads as UR travels to Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon heads to Georgia to take on Emory.
