By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It was tough enough for the Rochester Lady Lancers that they had to play their United Women’s Soccer game in sweltering conditions at Marina Auto Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Ninety-one degree temperatures will have something to do with that.
Add the fact that the hosts outshot the Flash, 28-7.
It was even worse when the Lady Lancers fell out of the East Conference with a 2-1 loss to their rival Western New York Flash.
The Flash (5-2-0, 15 points), which has a game in hand, leap frogged over Rochester (4-2-2, 14) into the conference lead.
Despite having the run of play in the opening half, the Lady Lancers found themselves staring down a 1-0 deficit.
Carissima Cutrona made sure of that in the 43rd minute, scoring from the left side of the penalty area to lift Western New York into the lead. Chloe Deysler sent a pass that split two Rochester defenders and Cutrona had plenty of room to run in on goal as she rounded goalkeeper Caitie Broderick before depositing the ball into an empty net.
Cutrona got her brace in the 66th minute when she turned a defender inside out and scored for a 2-0 advantage.
Less than a minute later, however, the Lady Lancers sliced the lead in half as Taylor Wingerden knocked home Jada Sargeant’s right-wing cross and scored her first goal of the season as the hosts trailed, 2-1.
Rochester dominated the final 20 minutes, sending cross after cross into the area, but Western New York managed to hold off the hosts.
Flash goalkeeper Megan Tock had an active game as she was credited with 15 saves but was tested severely once.
Due to the hot conditions, there were water breaks in each half.
The Rochester Lancers took on the Greater Binghamton FC Thunder in the second game of the doubleheader in National Premier Soccer League action.
The Lady Lancers will host the Inferno Rush Saturday, July 7 at 2 p.m. before completing their season against the Flash at D’Youville College Saturday, July 14 at 6 p.m.
