ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A goal in the 65th minute by Rochester Institute of Technology was the difference in an evenly-played match, as the Tigers topped the Gators 1-0 to close out the Rachel Miller Memorial Tournament.
With 24:35 left in regulation, the Tigers' Sierra Kiss dribbled through the Gator defense and found the net with the eventual game-winner, as the hosts won their second match in as many days, while the Gators suffered their second loss of the weekend.
The Gators'
Fran Weber posted the game's first shot just 27 seconds into play, but the offensive chances then went the way of the Tigers, as RIT tallied three shots and a corner kick over the next 20 minutes. The next 20 minutes were contested mainly in the middle third of the field, before RIT looked to enter the locker room with momentum. A Tiger shot with 3:43 left in the half rang off the crossbar, with the rebound caroming right to the foot of an RIT forward. Her blast from less than five feet out was headed away by the Gator defense, preserving the scoreless halftime tie.
After the Tigers posted two shots in the first four minutes of the second half, the Gators maintained possession for an extended stretch but came away empty. In the 52nd minute, a shot from
Jessie Thiessen following a
Brianna Layman corner kick was saved at point-blank range. Less than a minute later, another corner kick from Layman found the head of
Liana Leja, but her attempt went wide. Two more shots from Thiessen were denied over a two-minute span, and the contest entered its 60th minute still scoreless.
The next four minutes were contested at midfield, before Kiss scored the first goal on an impressive individual effort in the 65th minute. Neither team was able to muster much of an attack over the remainder of the match, with the Gators posting two of the final three final shots and the game's last corner kick, but a save by Tiger keeper Amanda Murray on a header from the Gators'
Faith Robinson with 26 seconds left sealed the victory for the hosts.
Each team was granted five corner kicks in the game, while RIT owned a slim 10-9 advantage in shots. Despite the second half Tiger goal, Allegheny had the bulk of the chances in the second half, out-shooting RIT 7-5 over the final 45 minutes. Allegheny's Gabby Cutis made two saves on the afternoon, while Murray finished with five stops, including four in the second stanza, to earn the shutout victory.
The Gators will now have a three-day layoff before returning to action on Wed. Sept 3rd, when they travel to University Heights, Ohio to take on John Carroll in a 4 p.m. non-conference match.
