In a hard-fought match that saw leads change and rain pour, it was the Brandeis Judges that prevailed in the opening round of the ECACs, beating Rhode Island College 3-2 in overtime. It was a game in which sloppy play at times was matched and surpassed by sloppier conditions.
RIC took the early lead four minutes into play as Gina Callena 08 managed to get a pass through the defense to Brittney Godbout 08, who knocked it in past Brandeis goalie Betsey Medow 08 for the 1-0. The Judges increased pressure in the second half but with RIC playing prevent defense, it looked as though Godbouts tally would be the difference.
The weather conditions changed that in the 79th minute. Co-captain Melissa Flash Gordon 07 made a play for the ball in the crease but when RIC goalie Krissie Pyzynski 09 made the save, she lost her footing and the ball went over the goal line. Despite protests from Pyzynski and RIC, the goal stood and the game was knotted at one. That changed 36 seconds later as Amy King 08 took advantage of confusion on the RIC defense and managed to get the right deflection off the post and in, giving the Judges a 2-1 lead. Rhode Island, however, refused to quit and started pressuring the Judges. The weather again was the decider in the 87th minute;
this time Medow appeared to stop a high shot by RICs Abby Hummel 08, but the wet ball slipped through her hands, tying the game and forcing overtime.
Nine minutes into overtime, rookie Melissa Gorenkoff 10 got the ball, took down half the field and booted the game winner. I was going to pass it, Gorenkoff explained, but I saw an opening and started dribbling.
The win was not one that the team was particularly proud of, at least if co-captain Lisa Kaplin 07 was any indication. When asked what made RIC so tough, Kaplan said, I think they had more heart. I wouldn't say they had more heart because we really picked it up in the end, but I think they came in and they really wanted it in the first half.
They did not have that many shots but the shot they had, they played with heart the whole game, that's what made them a tough team. I don't think they were by any means more skillful than us.
Brandeis outshot Rhode Island 15-5, including 10 shots in the second half alone. The Judges also held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks. Medow got the win with two saves while Pyzynski had five.
Brandeis goes off to Northampton, MA to take on number one seeded Smith College on Nov. 11 at noon.
