The women’s soccer team provided alumni, family and friends who attended Brandeis University’s Homecoming weekend with an incredibly physical and exciting game on Saturday.  The Judges battled the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon in the University Athletic Association (UAA) conference opener for both teams and for the second time this season, the Judges snapped a four-game winning streak of their own. Tartan Alex Adams’ unassisted goal in just the fifth minute of play proved to be the deciding strike of the game.  

Adams’ early goal, her eighth of the season, was scored off a turnover inside the box, which she placed in the top right corner of the goal. The goal was the first to pass the hands of goalkeeper Victoria Richardson ’20 in five games.  

This matchup was a head-to-head battle, as both teams played the game with nearly identical statistics, with the exception of Adams’ early goal.  In the first half, the Judges and the Tartans finished with five shots each, while Carnegie Mellon had one corner kick to Brandeis’ zero. Similar to the first half, the teams matched each other’s intensity, competing until the end. Each goalie showed true grit, as they came up with big saves throughout the game. Richardson finished with a still impressive five saves, while the Tartan goalie, Andrea Sipos, tallied six. This gave the Tartans a slight edge over the Judges to seal the win.

“The first UAA game is always the most exciting,” said midfielder Daria Bakhtiari ’21. “We were just getting off some great wins in our non-conference games, and we were all pumped to play Carnegie. It was a pretty physical game, and it was all about standing your ground and wanting it more.”  The physicality peaked in the 84th minute when Carnegie Mellon was handed a yellow card. In the end, both teams finished the match with eight fouls apiece.

Bakhtiari said, “Overall, I think it was a pretty evenly matched game, but we definitely had some more of the possessions and opportunities. It was an unfortunate goal in the beginning, but these UAA teams capitalize on every chance they get.” As a team, Brandeis finished with six shots on goal, as did Carnegie Mellon. Judge Katie Hayes ’20 led the team in shots with four, three of which happened to be on goal. Brandeis classmates Morgan Clark ’23 and Caroline Swan ’23 both had one shot on goal. Although they could not connect, their shots provided the Judges with some additional scoring opportunities against a fierce opponent.

The Judges are looking to get a win against Case Western Reserve on Saturday, Oct. 12, in Cleveland, OH for the first road UAA game of the season. “Although it was a tough loss on everyone, I think it was a great eye-opener to what the UAA really is. It made us stronger as a team, and we are going to bounce back just like we always do.”