Saturday was a good day for Brandeis athletics when the No. 4 ranked Brandeis men’s soccer team racked up their 10th win of the season in their home opener of the University Athletics Association (UAA) conference.
The Judges (10-1 for the season) faced a tough opponent in Case, as the teams struggled to surpass strong defenses on both ends. The Spartans’ first-year goalkeeper, Calvin Boyle, had four stops during the game. His team’s offense was also busy putting pressure on the Brandeis defense. Brandeis goalkeeper, Joe Graffy ’15, had two saves, keeping the first half scoreless.
Both teams came out in the second half determined to get the win, so both teams had to take serious risks in order to get ahead. Spartans junior, Chris Cvecko, tested Graffy with a free kick shot. Graffy had to punch over the net to keep the Spartans from scoring. Brandeis had plenty of opportunities to score, outshooting the Spartans 20-9, but just couldn’t convert anything. The two teams battled until the end of regulation still tied at 0-0.
Brandeis pushed past the Spartans in overtime, holding their opponents to no shots, while producing seven attempts at goal themselves. However, neither team seemed to be able to conquer their opponent’s defense, sending the game into double overtime. With 1:46 left, the Judges finally scored. Tyler Savonen ’15, took the ball deep into the box, only to be tackled by a Case Western Reserve University player. This resulted in a penalty shot for Savonen, which proved to be the downfall for the Spartans.
This intense game gave the Brandeis men’s soccer team its 10th straight win and longest streak since 1985, when the Judges managed 15 consecutive wins.
Brandeis men’s soccer played again Tuesday at MIT, where they won, extending their streak to 11 wins this season.
The Judges play again at Rochester University this Saturday at 1 p.m.