ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's soccer team (1-0-1) and Allegheny College (1-0-1) played to a 1-1 tie on day two of the 2016 Rachel Memorial Tournament on a sunny, Saturday afternoon from Tiger Stadium.
Abbey Saia (Monroe, CT/Masuk) tallied her first collegiate goal for RIT in the tie.
"I thought we played much better than we did yesterday," said RIT head coach
Liz Masterson. "We created some chances and a lot of ladies contributed. We need to keep working on the little details and improve every day."
Shots were 23-8 in favor of the Tigers who took nine corner kicks to one for the Gators. The Tigers fired 11 shots on net, while Allegheny sent three shots on net.
Sienna Fisher (Lewisburg, PA/Lewisburg) played all 110 minutes for RIT, making two saves. Colleen Fleming got the start for Allegheny, making 10 saves.
RIT had a good chance midway through the opening half when
Elena Wolfe (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany) broke through with a shot from 20-yards out that Fleming was able to just tip wide.
Emily Thiel (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) had a chance later in the first half when she dribble around Allegheny defenders into the penalty area. She fired a good hard shot that was blocked away by a Gators defender to keep it a scoreless game at the half.
RIT came out with more offensive pressure in the second, generating some good scoring chances early in the half. Saia had a chance early in the second when
Monique Polanco (Merrick, NY/John F. Kennedy) sent in a service that Saia fired just wide of the net.
Allegheny had a decent chance with about 36 minutes to play on a loose ball inside the RIT penalty area, Taylor Renk gathered the loose ball, firing a shot towards the net that was blocked away by a Tigers defender.
RIT broke through in the 61st minute when Saia got the ball out on the flank She dribbled past a few Allegheny defenders and into the penalty box, firing a good low shot from 10 yards out that found the back of the net and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Gators broke though in the 79th minute when Samantha Awe chipped a shot over Fisher, who had crept off her line, during a scrum in front of the RIT net. The Tigers had chances to clear the ball away, but couldn't quite get it out far enough. Awe gather the ball and scored just over the outstretched hands of Fisher.
Polanco had a an outstanding chance with a little over four minutes to play in regulation when she broke in on a partial breakaway. She tried to chip Fleming who had come off her line to cut down the angle, but Polanco's shot went just wide of the net.
Anka Parzych (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) had a great chance late in the the first overtime off a corner kick. Thiel sent in a lovely service that Parzych got a head to. The shot was headed for the far corner, but Fleming was able to get over and make the stop. Parzych had another chance in the second overtime that went just wide as well.
The Tigers opened the season with a 1-0 win over Mount Saint Mary College on Friday afternoon.
RIT returns to action on Saturday, September 10 when they travel to Misericordia in Dallas, Pa. for a 1 p.m. start.
