The Brandeis University men’s soccer team opened up homecoming weekend with a UAA conference matchup following the women’s soccer game at 11 a.m. It was a beautiful day for some soccer, not to mention opening up UAA conference play against Case Western Reserve.
The game went to double overtime, with neither team able to notch the decisive goal, ending the game with a scoreless draw. Case Western Reserve held the advantage in the first half, outshooting the Judges 8-2. However, the Judges turned it around in the second half taking the advantage 11-5.
CWRU had a total of six shots on goal, but fortunately for the Judges, goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20 made all six saves.
The first overtime was even with both the Judges and the Spartans having three shots each, with both keepers making one save. Brandeis owned the final ten minutes, going 4-0 in total shots, putting two on net, but the Spartan goalie was able to stop both, forcing the draw.
Bryant Nardizzi ’20 led the Judges with seven shots, two on goal. Irwin finished the match with seven saves, one shy of his season and career best. It was his fourth shutout of the season.
Irwin was recognized as men’s soccer Defensive Player of the week coming off his fourth shutout of the season. It was the first career UAA honor for the impressive junior. The past week Irwin stopped four shots in a 1-0 win over Wheaton College on Sept. 25, then made seven saves, one shy of his career best, in a 0-0 draw with Case Western Reserve University.
Coming off 200 scoreless minutes and 11 saves last week, Irwin leads the UAA with a .906 save percentage and ranks second with a 0.45 goals-against average and 29 total saves. He is 11th among all Division III goalies in save percentage.
On Tuesday night the Judges were back in action for a non-conference match against MIT. Led by Devan Casey ’19, the Judges came out victorious with a 2-1 win on the road. Casey gave the Judges the lead in the 37th minute with a strike into the left side of the goal from the right side of the field late in the opening half.
In the 65th minute, Alex Walter ’20 put back a save made by the MIT keeper to give the Judges a 2-0 advantage. However, the Engineers spoiled the shutout in the 87th minute with a score, ending the match with a score of 2-1 in favor of the Judges.
MIT held the slight 12-11 advantage in shots, while Brandeis took four corner kicks and the Engineers only took two.
UAA athlete of the week Irwin improved to 4-2-1 with a pair of saves for the Judges. The Judges improve to 5-4-1 on the season.
Next up, Brandeis travels to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Oct. 6 to take on Carnegie Mellon in yet another UAA contest at 11 a.m.
