It was a week of very mixed results for the Brandeis women’s soccer team. On Saturday, Clark University took the Judges to overtime and sent them home with a loss with the only goal of the game. Brandeis bounced back on Wednesday, however, defeating Smith College 5-1 in a powerful performance.
Saturday’s game was marked by strong defense and goaltending from both teams. The two teams combined for 11 shots in the first half, but neither Brandeis netminder Hillary Rosenzweig ‘10 nor Clark goalie Joanna Clark ‘10 let their guard down. The second half was much more physical; Clark committed 5 fouls and Brandeis committed 11, including one from Kaitlyn Oldfield ‘12 in the 89th minute that drew a yellow card.
The game ended soon after overtime began, however. Just 1 minute and 28 seconds into the final period, Clark sophomore Allison Kennelly scored an unassisted goal to give the Cougars the 1-0 victory. Alanna Torre was the offensive star for Brandeis, putting three shots on net; Joanna Clark was spectacular for Clark, making 5 saves.
Wednesday’s offensive explosion made up for Saturday’s lack of punch, however. By the 16th minute of the game, Brandeis was already enjoying a 2-0 lead, courtesy of freshman Mimi Theodore’s unassisted goal and sophomore Ellie Einhorn’s strike assisted by Francesca Shin ‘12. Brandeis’s constant pressure kept Smith from getting any good opportunities on the offensive end; the Pioneers failed to register a single shot on goal in the first half.
The second period was even more productive for the Judges. Just one minute after the opening whistle, sophomore defender Taryn Martiniello’s corner kick was converted by classmate Tiffany Pacheco. Brandeis struck again ten minutes later one a strong solo effort from Melissa Gorenkoff ‘10, and rookie Kelly Doolittle finished the scoring in the 72nd minute. Hailey Bird tallied a goal for Smith in garbage time, but Brandeis walked off the field with their heads held high and a 5-1 victory.
Brandeis is now 5-2-1 on the season, and the team has outscored their oppenents by a 17-6 margin. Their defense has been particularly impressive; opponents have registered only 27 shots on goal and collected 2 assists. The rare defensive mistakes have been handled ably by Hillary Rosenzweig, who sports an impressive .769 save percentage.
The Judges’ next game is away against Wellesley College on October 1st; they do not return home until October 7th against Tufts.
