ROCHESTER, N.Y. -  The Plattsburgh State women's soccer team traveled to Rochester to play the Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) on Sunday, Sept. 3, and defeated the Tigers 3-1 in non-conference play. Nora Fitzgerald (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) scored the first goal of the day for the Cards and assisted on the third goal to help secure the Cardinal win.
 
Fitzgerald scored late in the 7^th minute to kick off the game's scoring and Claire Bottjer (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) scored the eventual game-winner in the 33^rd minute. Avery Durgan (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) sealed the Cardinal win with the third goal of the game shortly after R.I.T. scored their lone goal. Fitzgerald and Durgan each picked up assists and Sally Gliganic (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) notched her first career assist. Lauren Haley (LaGrange, N.Y./Arlington) picked up her second win of the year, saving seven shots over 90 minutes.
 
The Cardinals move to 2-0 on the season with the win and will face a strong Middlebury team on the road in their next game, Wednesday, Sept. 6. R.I.T falls to 0-2 on the year and will next play Wheaton on Friday, Sept. 8.
 
Fitzgerald and the Cardinal offense got to work early in the game, putting a couple of good shots on net, before the senior notched the team's first goal of the game. Senior defender Kayla Myers (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Saranac) began the scoring opportunity by intercepting a pass and sending it deep into the Card's offensive zone. Running with the ball in stride Ella Santomassimo (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) chipped a line drive shot with her left foot off the top crossbar, where it ricocheted directly to Fitzgerald following the play downfield, where she finished for the Plattsburgh score. 
 
The Cardinals continued to click offensively throughout the first half, and the persistence paid off in the 33^rdminute when Gliganic played a through-ball to Durgan up the left side of the field. Durgan put a good shot on goal, but it was saved and deflected, leading to Bottjer sliding in to finish off the play and put in her first career goal for a 2-0 lead.
 
At the half, the Cards led the shots battle 8-5, despite not earning a single corner kick. Over the entire 90 minutes, Plattsburgh did not earn a single corner kick but were still able to generate plenty of offense with 13 shots and seven on goal.
 
In the second half, R.I.T finally found their offensive rhythm, as they were able to rattle off nine shots trying to mount a comeback. The team finally put in their first goal of the season in the 50^th minute, when Rachel Marriot scored off an Oliva Harris assist. 
 
Shortly after in the 53^rd minute, the Cardinals sealed the game with their third and final goal, as Fitzgerald won a 50-50 ball at midfield and spun around her defender to break free down the field. Racing past two Tiger defends, she drew Durgan's defender in transition, freeing up the senior forward who scored easily off the subsequent Fitzgerald pass for her second goal of the season. 
 
Haley and the excellent Plattsburgh defense held strong with the two-goal lead in the final 37 minutes, sealing an impressive road win for the Cards.