The Brandeis women’s soccer team knew they were better than the sixth place they received in the preseason UAA poll, but even they must be surprised at how smoothly the season has gone for them so far. Now four games into the season, the team has not only won every game they’ve played, they haven’t allowed a single goal.

This week’s action started on Saturday, September 6th at home against a thoroughly outgunned UMass-Boston. Brandeis out-shot the Beacons by a 13-0 margin in the first half and found the goal six times, utterly dominating the action. The strong play of UMass goalie Courtney Haroules ‘10 kept the game close, as the barrage of shooting only yielded the Judges one goal. The hero was Sophia Vallone ‘11, converting the rebound from a shot by junior Melissa Gorenkoff, who was credited for an assist. The goal was a costly one for Vallone and Brandeis; the team’s third-leading scorer suffered an injury that could keep her out of action for several weeks.

The Judges cooled off a little in the second half, only out-shooting the Beacons by an otherwise remarkable 7-1 margin. Tiffany Pacheco ‘11 padded the Judges’ advantage by scoring off an assist from fellow sophomore Taryn Martiniello, and UMass-Boston failed to register even one shot on goal, giving ‘Deis the 2-0 victory.

Hillary Rosenzweig ‘10 earned the shutout despite going untested in the net for the entire game. Gorenkoff and rookie Alanna Torre each took four shots to lead Brandeis’s 20 shot attack.


Babson was the next team to test the Judges’ mettle, and they met with just as little success as any other opponent. Tiffany Pacheco staked a powerful claim for team leadership, scoring twice in the first half to provide the only goals of the game. The first came in the 22nd minute off a pass near the goal from the talented rookie Izabella Miranda. The second came in the 35th minute on an incredibly strong shot from 20 yards out; again, Miranda picked up the assist. Hillary Rosenzweig saved all three shots she faced, and the Judges had their eighth straight shutout in a row.

Pacheco currently leads the Judges in every major statistical category with five goals, 10 points, 13 shots, 10 shots on goal, and an astronomical .385 shooting percentage. Miranda’s five points place her second, a very strong showing for the freshman forward. The team is getting almost half of its shots to go on goal, and their goalkeepers have saved all eight shots they’ve faced. Brandeis plays next on this upcoming Saturday, taking on Springfield College at Gordon Field.