On Wednesday night, the Brandeis men’s soccer team rallied against Lasell College, sweeping them 5-1 and gaining the Judges’ seventh straight win of the season. Ranked second in New England and 12th in Division III by the NSCAA, the Judges improved their perfect record to 7-0 and forced the first loss of the Lasers’record, bringing theirs to 4-1.
Brandeis had an early start in the game, nailing four goals in the first half and one more in the second. The Lasers, who were playing shorthanded due to a player getting a red card in the first half, snuck in a goal toward the end of the game in minute 81.
Brandeis was led by senior midfielder Kyle Feather ’14, who scored the team’s first and fifth goals. He nailed six goals so far this season, with his fifth goal coming in as a header off a throw in by midfielder Foti Andreo ’15 and his sixth goal coming in after receiving the ball from defender Ben Applefield ’14 and dribbling it into the box to execute a lofted rip into the corner.
Feather’s six goals this season add to his total 22 career goals, placing him as number 21 on the Judges’ career scoring list. Although his six goals equal the career-highs he set in each of the past two seasons, the game against Lasell signaled Feather’s third multi-goal game of his career.
Tudor Livadaru ’14 scored Brandeis’ second goal, which is his third of the season. After being substituted into the game in minute 26, Livadaru found an opening for the goal off an assist by rookie forward Evan Jastremski ’17. The service by Jastremski found Livadaru in a good position, allowing the forward to chip the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.
In minute 38, Brandeis scored the third goal, a shot by rookie forward Mike Lynch ’17 off a feed by forward Michael Chaput ’16. Lynch’s first goal of the season came after Chaput dribbled across the six-yard box and passed the ball to Lynch for a finish into the wide-open net.
Chaput’s chance for his first goal of the season came in minute 43. A cross from Livadaru found Chaput in an open position, giving him the opportunity to nail it into the back of the net, raising the score to 4-0 for the Judges.
Brandeis got their fifth goal by Feather early in the second half, signaling the end of their scoring for the game. Lasell’s solo goal came toward a close when a scramble off a corner kick allowed one player to knock it in the net past goalkeeper, Joe Graffy ’15.
Brandeis had a total of 24 shots for the game, nine of which were on goal. Lasell, on the other hand, had a total of five shots on goal. Graffy had to make four stops during the match.
Although Lasell was playing down a man for a large part of the game, the majority of the Judge’s success came from getting shots on goal early in the game. Their quick ball movements and teamwork aided them in taking control of the match. With the confidence they’ve built up from their undefeated record, Brandeis will look to continue their streak as they face tougher competition during the season. They will return to play on Saturday in an away game against Tufts, who are currently 3-1.
