Box Score

                  ROCHESTER, NY (September 27, 2013) – Sophomore Michelle Relin netted the game-winning tally 2:20 into overtime to lift No. 15 University of Rochester past the Vassar College field hockey team in the Liberty League opener for the Brewers.

                  The Yellowjackets (8-1, 2-0 Liberty League) came into the contest ranked No. 15 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) recent poll, but the Brewers (4-3, 0-1 Liberty League) were up to the task for much of the night. Minutes in, sophomore Bianca Zarrella (Leominster, MA/Leominster) nearly gave the Brewers an early 1-0 lead but was denied by Rochester keeper Madison Wagner.

                  The hosts would begin to grasp the momentum, taking the game's next seven shot attempts. Senior keeper Maggie Brelis (Cambridge, MA/BB&N) held her own, making four stops during that stretch to keep her squad in it. Late in the first, Vassar defended a corner well and countered, nearly scoring as Tina Caso (Carmel, NY/Carmel) had her shot saved with three minutes to play in the opening period.

                  After the intermission, Rochester appeared to score the game's opening goal, as Relin fired a shot to the top of the net but the goal was disallowed for a high attempt. The Yellowjackets kept the pressure on, and finally broke through as Callie Fisher deflected in a shot from Megan Keil for her third goal of the season to make the score 1-0.

                  The Brewers didn't panic, and responded nearly immediately to knot the game at one. After earning two penalty corners and two shot-saves, a third attempt from the Brewers was touched illegally, resulting in a penalty stroke. Senior Anna Schroeder (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) calmly stepped up and beat Wagner to her stick side to pull even with Rochester.

                  Both teams had great scoring opportunities towards the end of the game, but Wagner and Brelis continued to stonewall the opposition, sending the game to overtime. In the extra session, the Yellowjackets pressured early, but Brelis was there to make four consecutive saves. Relin would earn the victory for her team though shortly thereafter, sliding a shot over a sprawling Brelis and barely past a hustling VC defender just over the goal line for the game-winner.

                  Vassar's senior keeper was phenomenal all game, making 12 saves while facing 23 total shots. Her counterpart Wagner turned away six Vassar attempts on goal, while seeing nine shots come her way. Brelis is now just one save shy of the No. 2 spot on the all-time saves list at Vassar, trailing Tara Trifon '04 by one save. She is 13 stops short of the all-time record, held currently by Taylor Herman '09. The host Yellowjackets won the penalty corner battle, 14-5, and outshot VC 5-0 in the overtime period. Zarrella led the Brewers with three shots, while Schroeder took two attempts.

                  "First of all, I thought the women came to play. I was very impressed with the level of focus and concentration they brought," said head coach Michael Warari. "We brought everything we had, we kept fighting, it's just unfortunately we couldn't pull out the win…by far the best game we've played."

                  The Brewers continue their difficult Liberty League weekend tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. with a trip to Geneva, NY to take on No. 6 William Smith College.