PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – University of Rochester men's soccer fell to the 6th-ranked Brandeis University Judges, 2-1, on Saturday morning at Edwin Fauver Stadium, as the Judges notched a pair of second-half goals to earn a come-from-behind victory against the 'Jackets.
 
While the Yellowjackets took just one shot in the first half, it'd prove to be one of just shots on goal in the opening period. Just over four minutes in, Will Fallona crossed the ball into Milos Bisenic, whose one-timer from the far side forced Tyler Correnti to make his first of four saves.
 
On the opposite end of the field, the Judges took seven first-half shots, but were only able to put one on net. Aidan Chang and Nico Beninda fired Brandeis' opening salvos wide in the 10th and 12th minutes, while an attempt from Slater Loffredo missed high just past the 20-minute mark of the first.
 
Just shy of the 24th minute of the first, Ben Ziegler notched his first of six saves, stopping Dylan Moarzouca's header following a free-kick attempt by the Judges.
 
Minutes later, Brandeis earned a corner and saw Kaden Collins' attempt blocked, while just before half, Rain Osselmann-Chai smacked a long-range howitzer off the crossbar, just missing a chance at breaking the tie before the half.
 
In the second half, though, the Yellowjackets quickly took back the momentum and took the lead four minutes in.
 
Kamal Ibrahim's first attempt of the second half went wide, but his second would not. Johnny Makula found Ibrahim ahead with a volley, and the 'Jackets' graduate forward did the out-running the Judges' defense on the breakaway and finding the back of the net with a 15-yard shot to the lower right of the goal.
 
Up 1-0, URochester looked for another, putting a pair of shots on goal over the next five minutes off the foot of Bisenic and Alessio Cristanetti-Walker, but Correnti came up with saves on both.
 
Brandeis then looked to counter, but Ziegler came up with a pair of huge stops, while the UR defense successfully defended a pair of corners.
 
In the 56th minute, Ziegler came up with a leaping save on Marzouca's header off a Brandeis free kick, resulting in a corner, while in the 64th minute, Ziegler stopped a left-footed attempt from Elan Romo.
 
The Judges would keep the pressure on, though, and would break through in the 79th minute. Ziegler just got his fingertips on a shot by Maddox Yu on another Judges' corner in the 78th minute, resulting in another corner, one of seven on the day for Brandeis.
 
On the ensuing corner, the Judges found the equalizer, with Osselmann-Chai's corner getting deflected and eventually settled by Loffredo, who put the ball past Ziegler into the back of the net.
 
And just 16 seconds later, the Judges took the lead, taking advantage of a miscue by Rochester. A quick turnover off the kickoff gave Langston Byrd a one-on-one opportunity with Ziegler, and though Ziegler stopped Byrd's first shot, he couldn't corral the rebound.
 
Byrd then got just enough of his second attempt to beat Daniel Steinacher to the near post and give the Judges a 2-1 lead, with a pair of goals just 16 seconds apart.
 
Now trailing 2-1, the 'Jackets would press forward offensively, looking for an equalizer of their own, but a free kick from Bisenic sailed high in the 83rd minute, while Phillip Davis wasn't quite able to get his 87th-minute shot past the Brandeis defense.
 
Defensively, Ziegler came up with another save in the 84th minute on a breakaway by the Judges on the counterattack to keep Brandeis from extending its lead any further. But unable to find the equalizer, the 'Jackets fell, 2-1, dropping their first match of conference play.
 
With the loss, URochester falls to 7-3-4 (1-1-1 UAA) on the year, while the 6th-ranked Judges move to 9-1-3 (1-1-1 UAA) with the win.
 
Bisenic led Rochester offensively with three shots, while Cristanetti-Walker and Ibrahim each tallied two, with Ibrahim scoring UR's lone goal.
 
Rochester will look to bounce back when it hosts Washington University in St. Louis to kick off another UAA doubleheader, beginning on Friday, Oct. 24, at 5:00 p.m. at Edwin Fauver Stadium