Harrison Lilley

Photo Editor

hjl5363@psu.edu

ROCHESTER, NY – In a hard-fought first-round clash of the NCAA Division III Tournament, the Penn State Behrend women’s soccer team faced a tough challenge from sixth-ranked Rochester and ultimately fell short, losing 2-1 on Saturday, November 11th.

The final score of Rochester 2 and Behrend 1 marked the end of the Lions’ season, finishing with an overall record of 13-5-2.

Key Moments:

From the very start, the Yellow Jackets displayed their intent by applying early pressure. Sarah Martin fired the first shot just 54 seconds into the match.

Rochester’s Claire Grover made her presence known at the 39:49 mark of the first half, scoring the game’s opening goal with a well-executed low cross into the box by Sydney Holmes.

Throughout the first half, Rochester continued to assert their dominance, registering three more shots, while Behrend tallied three attempts of their own.

In the second half, the YellowJackets were awarded a pivotal penalty kick less than four minutes in. Claire Grover, once again, proved her prowess by converting the kick into the left lower corner, securing her second goal of the game and extending the lead to 2-0.

Despite the adversity, Penn State Behrend found their way onto the scoreboard in the 60th minute. Maddie Haggerty, hailing from West Seneca, NY/Nardin Academy, delivered a powerful direct kick that found the far-right lower corner of the net, eluding the reach of Rochester’s goalkeeper Grace Kuropatkin, making the score 2-1.

Riley Morningstar, representing North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin, played a crucial role for Behrend, making five saves during her 90 minutes of work. However, it was not enough to overcome Rochester’s early lead.

In the end, the Lions’ hard-fought efforts were not sufficient to secure a victory over Rochester in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Penn State Behrend concludes their season with a 13-5-2 overall record, while the YellowJackets advance to the next stage of the tournament, looking to build on their success.