The 20th-ranked women’s soccer team’s winning run was brought to an abrupt end last Saturday, when the visiting Judges fell to the University of Rochester Yellowjackets by a 2-0 score. The result takes them to 1-1 in the University Athletic Association, while retaining an impressive 11-2 in all competitions. The squad had defeated Eastern Nazarene College 1-0 last Tuesday to push their winning-streak to 11 games.  

The first half of Saturday’s game proved to be a relatively even affair with no shortage of attempts on goal. The Judges’ strikers were matched by that of the Yellowjackets in the half as each side attempted five shots on goal. However, it was the Rochester strikers who came closest to breaking the stalemate with two headers directed at goal in quick succession, each of which clattered against the woodwork. 

The two teams went into the break level at 0-0.

The first mark on the scoresheet came in the 57th minute, when Rochester freshman midfielder Laura Cowie-Haskell slotted home a long pass from midfield to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. The Judges came close to drawing level in the 68th minute, when striker Lea McDaniel ’17 worked her way into an opportune position but fired a little high, letting the out-of-position Yellowjackets keeper off the hook. 

Rochester senior defender Claire Kowalcyzk wrapped up the contest in the 78th minute by capitalizing on a loose ball in the Brandeis box, firing home the ball for a 2-0 lead. When the final whistle blew Brandeis had recorded 11 shots opposed to Rochester’s seven but could not find the goals needed to equalize the game. 

“It was a great game; we had opportunities that did not end up in a goal,” said coach Denise Dallamora. 

“We outplayed them in most of the game but gave up two goals in an opportunity to score.”

The result came off the heels of a mid-week matchup for the Judges—last Tuesday’s 1-0 home victory against the Eastern Nazarene College Lions. 

The Judges broke the deadlock early on in the 18th minute through an exhibition of individual skill. After waltzing through the midfield, midfielder Sapir Edalati ’15 launched the ball to the left flank, where she found the forward Samantha Schwartz ’18. Schwartz continued her run forward before cutting in and proceeded to fire the ball into the top corner of the net from the cusp of the 18-yard box to give the Judges an early 1-0 lead. 

Brandeis came close to finding the back of the net another six times, only to be denied each time by Eastern Nazarene sophomore goalkeeper Kristen Farley. The Lions found it difficult to make any offensive impact on the game, with only two attempts on goal in 90 minutes, both of which were collected by the Judges’ goalies. Through a match that was undeniably dominated by the Judges, the one goal cushion was more than enough to secure the win. 

The Judges will look to return to the win column with games against Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University at home this weekend in pivotal divisional matchups. Brandeis will welcome Carnegie Mellon on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and Emory on Sunday afternoon, beginning at 1:30 p.m.