TROY >> The host Troy Colts edged out the defending D1 state champion Rochester Adams Highlanders 2-1 in a showdown of OAA Red heavyweights Thursday night.

The Colts got the game-winner with 16:27 to play when Ava Fleming played a ball out of midfield toward the goal that Olivia Jasniewicz won the race for, executing a sliding stab at the ball that was just enough to win it and drive the ball over the goal line, breaking a 1-1 tie.

The Colts had the better of play after that to see off the game. Adams had put pressure on early in the half and also produced the better of the chances in the first half as well, though not by much. But as the game wore on, the Colts’ backline of Maya Saad, Victoria Siegan, and Raigan Richard just got stronger and adapted more and more to the Highlanders’ style of play, resulting in increased Troy possession and especially fewer chances for the Highlanders when the game was on the line.

“We tried to stay organized, and that really helped,” Troy head coach Dan Troccoli said. “The girls did a great job. I’m proud of them, proud of the back line,” he added.

When the Highlanders did break through, Troy goalie Sophia Peronis was in good form. Peronis finished with six saves for the game and perhaps her best was midway through the first half when she had to come off her line to shut down a clean breakaway from a through ball.

Adams goalie Lexi Calcamuggio also played a solid game in net, stopping five shots, including a breakaway for Troy as the teams finished with seven shots on goal each. Adams had a slight edge in total shots, but really there was little between the teams except for those few inches Jasniewicz found on what proved to be the winning goal.

“Sometimes they don’t fall your way in the opportunities, you know, and then they finished the ones that they had,” Adams head coach Josh Hickey said. “I think we had opportunities. They just didn’t fall like they did the last couple of games. But that’s the way this game is. I like how the team played. You don’t always get the result you want. But I don’t think, by any means, we played poorly. I’m proud of the whole team.”

The two sides had traded goals early in the first half. Adams got on the board first when Samantha Hawkins bent a free kick in from just outside the left side of the penalty area, sneaking the ball around the wall and inside the near post the wall was protecting with 34:10 still on the clock.

It took the Colts just 18 seconds to answer. Troy raced the ensuing kickoff down the right side and Sabrina Gaul’s cross found Brynn Zawislak for a tap-in to tie the game.

This was the OAA Red opener for both teams in what once again looks to be a deeply competitive division.

Rochester Adams (4-1 overall, 0-1 OAA Red) has the weekend off before facing crosstown rival Rochester on the road in another league contest. The Highlanders came into Thursday having outscored their opponents 18-2 so far, including a 2-1 home win over Hartland to open the year and an 8-0 drubbing of Ann Arbor Skyline.

Troy (2-0, 1-0) has the league bye next week but will stay busy with a slate of challenging non-conference games beginning with a road match against Northville on Saturday before hosting Brighton on Monday.