WALTHAM, MA – 14th-ranked Brandeis University was able to convert its offensive zone chances and earned a 4-0 UAA victory on Friday evening over the University of Rochester women's soccer team at Gordon Field.
The loss drops Rochester to 6-5-1 overall and 0-3-0 in the UAA, while Brandeis keeps its season rolling, with a 10-1 record and 3-0 mark in the conference, remaining in a tie for first place with Chicago and Washington-St. Louis.
Throughout most of the first half, the Yellowjacket defense and goalkeeper
Samantha Hlavac kept the Judges offense in check, thwarting a number of excellent scoring chances.
In the 16th minute Brandeis' Sasha Sunday attempted a shot from 15 yards on left wing, but a diving save by Hlavac at the near post kept the game scoreless. The rebound pinballed out in front, but Sam Volpe's follow up blocked away by defense.
Four minutes later, Volpe took a straight on shot from 20 yards left footed, but Hlavac made an outstanding diving stop to her right.
Rochester first chance of the night came in the 26th minute. A goal kick up was sent up the right side, got headed forward up to
Carolyn Richards who streaked into box and sent a cross in front to her teammate
Emily Henry who had shot saved by Judges keeper Sierra Dana off the post.
Late in the first half, Brandeis was able to break through for a 1-0 lead. A corner kick got played out to Amanda Fernbach who chipped the ball into the box where Daria Bakhtiari headed a pass to an open Emma Spector in close for the chip in goal.
The lead doubled in the opening minute of the second half. The play started with a cross into box from Lauren Mastandrea, which was saved by Hlavac, but ball slipped through hands right to Sunday who tapped the ball into the open net.
Rochester looked to counter in the 55th minute when Richards receives slip pass at edge of crease, sprinted in close and ripped a hard shot right on, but Dana made the point blank save.
Sixty seconds later, Brandeis tried to build on its lead, but a turn around shot 12 yards from Julia Matson, was stopped again by a diving Hlavac in the UR net.
In the next minute, Richards sent a great cross from the right side through goal mouth, but
Cesca Sheppard's one-timer shot at the open net was sent just high. That chance was UR's final shot of the night as the Judges ended up holding a 26-8 lead in shots and took eight corners to Rochester's two.
Brandeis finished up the scoring with two more goals, coming from Hannah Maatallah in the 73rd minute and Spector's second of the night in the 79th minute.
UR looks to pick up its first conference win on Sunday in an afternoon matchup at NYU, starting at 1:30 pm.
