On Sunday, the women’s soccer team faced its first University Athletic Association opponent in Case Western Reserve University. With the Judges riding high on a nine-game winning streak, thanks to a 5-0 win over Smith College last Tuesday, they did not seem like they would be slowing down anytime soon and came away with a 1-0 win over the visting Spartans. 

With these wins, the Judges have recorded a program-best 10-game winning streak and sit at 10-1 overall on the year.

The team got an early lead on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a 12th-minute goal from midfielder Sapir Edalati ’15. 

The senior received an inviting cross from forward Holly Szafran ’16, nodding it in right under the crossbar and evading the diving attempt of Case Western senior goalkeeper Abbey Smith. 

The goal was Edalati’s ninth on the season and fifth game-winning goal, both tops of all UAA players this year. 

The Judges have been quite prolific this season in goals from set pieces; the goal was their fifth of the season from set pieces. 

After the goal, the Brandeis team kept the pressure on, allowing the Case Western team few openings. 

The Judges managed to create 12 shooting opportunities in the remaining 90 minutes, with five—not including the goal—on target. 

As with any good team, the Judges played as a unit, consistent in not only an offensive sense but in a defensive one as well.

The Brandeis defense stood tall throughout the game allowing the Case Western offense only a few scoring chances and allowed just four shots by the Spartans offense.

Coach Denise Dallamora pointed to defenseman Haley Schachter ’16 as a stalwart among the back-four.

“[Schachter] played outside back last year and as a [first-year], and she’s moved into the center [this year],” explained Dallamora. “She’s really picked up a leadership role; she’s verbal, she orchestrates the defense to move up, drop when they need to, and she organizes who’s marking who.”

Goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17, who came on in the second half as a substitute, only had to make two very routine saves, both after the game’s 80th minute. 

The first of Grossman’s two saves came off a long ball with her simply catching it, and the other catch came from a cross from farther out. The Judges’ first-half goalkeeper, Michelle Savuto ’15, did not have to make any saves on the afternoon.

Grossman has six saves on the year and has not let in a goal in nearly 400 minutes played and apperances in nine contests this year.

“[Grossman has been] very important,” said Dallamora. “She’s a hard worker, she’s good with organizing the defense, she is verbal, and the [team] has a lot of confidence in her.”

This win followed another great midweek win against Smith. The Judges managed to thump the Pioneers 5-0 in Northampton, Mass. 

Edalati scored a brace, with the other three goals going to forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17, forward Lea McDaniel ’17 and forward Melissa Darling ’16. 

The first half ended with a 2-0 score line, and only once Edalati scored her second in the 65th minute did the floodgates opened with two more goals scored in the last 12 minutes, completing the rout over the host Pioneers by the Judges.

Both of Edalati’s goals came off corner kicks, and the midfielder picked up an assist on Moscovitch’s 66th minute goal.

Brandeis took 27 shots over the game and allowed Smith just seven shots, four of which were on net.

The Judges now have a season record of 10-1, with their only loss coming in the first game of the season to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at home. 

Their 10-game winning streak broke the previous record, set in the 2003 to 2004 season—a nine-game winning streak. 

Though squad also won their first UAA game on Sunday, they will face strong sides in upcoming UAA matches as the season progresses. 

The confenerce features the top team in the country, Washington University in St. Louis, No. 4 Carnegie Mellon University, No. 5 Emory University and No. 12 University of Chicago, all of which the Judges will take on in divisional matchups later this year. 

With the tough opponents looming in the distance, Dallamora said she thinks the offense could use some fine-tuning moving forward.

“We have to do a little work with our offense,” she said. 

“Mostly, it’s just the timing of runs and the correct passes, little bit of positioning, framing the goal a bit. We still need some work [and] it’s a work in progress, but they’re doing alright,” she continued.

The Judges will look to continue their fantastic form at home tonight against Eastern Nazarene Collegeat 7 p.m before traveling to the University of Rochester on Saturday for another UAA contest. 

—Avi Gold contributed reporting.