Women's Soccer | 9/21/2013 7:29:00 PM

Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's soccer team (4-1-2) played to a 1-1 draw against crosstown rival University of Rochester (3-3-1) at rain soaked Sahlen's Stadium in downtown Rochester on Saturday evening. The game was part of the Hillside Community Shield, a fundraiser aimed at supporting the youth and families served by Hillside Family of Agencies and Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The Tigers got on the board just 3:30 into the contest, as Gwen Neuhaus (Woodbridge, VA/Potomac) fired a service from 30-yards out towards teammate Kianna Richards, who was in front of the net. Fortunately for the Tigers, the ball deflected off a Rochester defender past goalkeeper Allison Bernstein for the goal. It was Neuhaus' first tally of the season.

With RIT leading 1-0, Rochester tied the game with just 4:18 left in regulation, as Emily Downie scored on a penalty kick after a Yellowjacket was hauled down in the penalty area. Downie fired a shot into the lower left hand corner of the net after RIT goalkeeper Sienna Fisher (Lewisburg, PA/Lewisburg Area) guessed to the right side.

That Rochester goal snapped RIT's shutout streak at 417:18, dating back to Sept. 7 vs. Oneonta. RIT has allowed just two goals this season.

RIT just missed going up 2-0 less than a minute before Rochester scored, as a header by Maxine Culhane (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) from inside the box off an indirect free kick from Elizabeth May (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) just sailed over the net. RIT also had a great chance in the 63rd minute, as Sierra Kiss (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) went around a Rochester defender on the right side and fired a cross to Ehlana Gray (Sewickley, PA/Avonworth) on the left side inside the box. Gray corralled the ball and fired a shot that beat the goalkeeper, but was stopped off the line by Rochester defender Kailee Zornow.

In the first overtime, RIT had three great chances within moments of each other. May fired a shot in the box off a cross from Quincey Ornellas (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) that just went wide. Moments later, Gray had a shot from the left side that Bernstein dove to stop. The ensuing rebound came to Alexa Martinez (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) at the top of the box, but her shot went over the net.

The Tigers held the play in the second overtime as well, but could not tally the winning goal.

RIT out-shot Rochester 8-6 in the defensive affair. Fisher made one save for the Tigers, while Bernstein stopped one shot for the Yellowjackets.

The Tigers are now 3-20-2 all-time against the Yellow Jackets, but are 3-2-2 against Rochester since the 2007 season.

Last season, RIT came out on top by a score of 2-1, as Ornellas scored the game-winner in the 78th minute.

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday, with a non-conference road contest at nearby Nazareth College, which gets underway at 4 p.m. RIT opens Liberty League play on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Clarkson.