ROCHESTER, N.Y. – On Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament, the sixth-seeded Vassar College women's soccer team (9-7-1) dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision in overtime to third-seeded RIT (11-4-2) at Tiger Stadium. The Brewers had a 2-0 lead until the Tigers scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation to send the contest into overtime, and RIT then found the back of the net again 90 seconds into the extra period for the game-winner.
Vassar earned a 2-0 win over the Tigers in the regular season meeting between the teams on Sept. 22. The Brewers also beat RIT 1-0 in the semifinals of the 2017 conference tournament, and it looked like they would repeat that result in the first round of this year's event.
Brenna McMannon (Colchester, VT) put Vassar on the board in the 32
nd minute when she fired one from distance past the RIT keeper. In the 61
st minute,
Jordan Moss (Tustin, CA) scored on a beautifully-struck free kick to double the Brewers' lead.
However, RIT rallied for two late goals to tie the game.
Fiona Walsh (Hackettstown, NJ) made a save on Abbey Saia's blast, but the rebound went right to Rebecca Hext, and she put it in to cut the Brewers' lead in half. Less than two minutes later, Marla Roberts was able to sneak one by Walsh after a scramble in front of the Vassar net, leveling the score at 2-2 and sending the contest into overtime.
There was another scramble in RIT's offensive end early in the overtime session. After Roberts had a shot blocked, Lauren Chester was able to corral the loose ball and send it ahead to Saia, who found the lower right corner to give the Tigers a 3-2 victory and set up a date with Ithaca in the semifinals.
The goals by McMannon and Moss were the first of the season for each. Walsh (8-7-1), meanwhile, made eight saves in the losing effort, including six in the second half when RIT outshot Vassar 8-2.
Alyssa Salls (7-1-2) earned the win for the Tigers. She was credited with one save. Roberts tallied her ninth goal of the season for RIT, while Hext scored for the second time this year. Saia had an assist to go along with the game-winning goal.
This marked the Brewers' fourth consecutive trip to the Liberty League Tournament, the first time in program history that has occurred. Vassar's 10 seniors end their careers having been a part of 37 wins, as the Brewers won at least nine games for the fourth straight year.
