POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Sophomore Leilani Llamas (Grapevine, TX) scored the game-winning goal in stroke-offs as the Vassar College Field Hockey team earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory in a shootout over Rochester. Vassar improves to 9-3 overall and 3-1 in the Liberty League following the win on Friday evening.

The game began as a defensive battle as the Yellowjackets tallied the lone shot of the first quarter from Maeve Fogarty with 43 seconds left in the opening quarter. Junior Sarah Dumaresq (Barnstable, MA) made a big stop on a penalty stroke attempt just under 10 minutes into the second quarter from Karina Bridger to keep the game scoreless.

Following a penalty corner from Mara Heppard with two minutes to go in the third quarter, Zoe Conomikes buried one in the back of the net off a deflection off a Vassar defender. Vassar responded just a minute later when sophomore Gianna Trunfio (Clinton, NY) knocked one past the Yellowjackets goalkeeper following a feed from junior Hailey Brigger (San Diego, CA).

Rochester made a push late in the fourth quarter as Conomikes and Nikki Mercer both had shots turned away from Dumaresq to send the contest to overtime. Trunfio had a shot saved by Kara Houston off a penalty corner with three and a half minutes to play in the first overtime. \

The Yellowjackets had four penalty corners in the second overtime but had three shots blocked by the Brewers defense as Vassar went to a stroke-off for the first time this season. 

Trunfio was the first to shoot for Vassar and was turned away by Houston and Mercer scored on the first attempt for the Yellowjackets. Brigger was the second to shoot for the Brewers and tied it up at one after slipping one past the Rochester goalkeeper. 

Following a missed attempt from Rochester's Lesley Leatherman, junior Kate Neikirk (Hayes, VA) scored on her attempt and gave Vassar a 2-1 lead in the shootout. Yellowjackets' Maeve Fogarty tied the stroke-off at two apiece before Llamas scored the eventual game-winner to give the Brewers a 3-2 edge.

Bridger and Elisabeth Sidorski were both turned away by Dumaresq in the final two attempts for Rochester as Vassar earned its third Liberty League victory of the season.

Rochester held a 14-8 edge in shots on the day while the two teams were tied with shots on goal with four. The Yellowjackets earned 11 penalty corners in the contest while the Brewers earned four.

Dumaresq earned her ninth win of the season as she made three saves while Houston took the tough luck loss in goal for Rochester after making three saves.

Vassar continues Liberty League action on Sunday afternoon as the Brewers head north to William Smith. The contest with the Herons is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.