The women’s soccer team completed its regular season on Saturday with a 1-1 draw on the road at New York University. The Judges end their regular season with a conference record of 2-3-2 and an overall record of 13-3-3, with a post-season matchup still to come.

Judges 1, NYU 1

NYU controlled the game for most of the first half. The Violets got on the board first, when in the 19th minute senior midfielder Lexi Clarke connected on a far post score in front of the 18-yard line. NYU was unable to convert on any more opportunities during the contest and struggled to even record shot attempts, only forcing goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17 to make two saves.

 The squad had plenty of chances to tie it up in the second half. They had 14 total shots in the second half, compared to the Violets’ lone attempt. The Judges also had an impressive 13 corner kicks after halftime. As the game ticked away and a defeat for the team seemed more likely, the Judges were finally able to tie up the score.

With midfielder Sam Volpe ’19 in control of the ball, forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17 sprinted to the net. Volpe found the senior, who converted the pass for her seventh goal of the 2016 campaign. The assist tied Volpe for the team lead, with a total of five.

Neither squad was able to get another goal during the overtime period. NYU was able to get off four shot attempts, while Brandeis had a total of three. The Judges kept the Violets on their toes throughout the game, forcing senior goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg to record 12 saves on the day.

The season on the whole has been a resounding success for the squad. The nonconference portion of the schedule featured one of the most dominating teams in the women’s program history. The Judges started off the season with a victory over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then proceeded to roll off eight consecutive wins. An undefeated run against 12  nonconference opponents was spoiled only by a draw against regional rival Tufts University.

Offensively, the Judges put up a huge number of goals against out-of-conference opponents. The biggest victory came against Regis College, when they defeated Regis on the road by a huge margin of 9-0. They would also defeat Eastern Connecticut State University 5-0 two games later.

 The seniors were the focal part of the roster throughout the year. Forward Lea McDaniel ’17 led the offense with a total of 11 goals on the season. Moscovitch was next on the list with seven goals, tied with forward Samantha Schwartz ’18. The third key senior on the squad was Grossman, who kept the Judges in games week in and week out. Grossman shut out the opposition eight times during the campaign, double the amount she recorded a season ago. She also posted a save percentage of .872 while accumulating a grand total of 68 saves.

Overall, the season has been a success, with a nearly identical record to their 2015 campaign. The team posted a .763 win percentage, compared to a stellar .773 percentage last year.

The team also improved its home record, losing one less game than it did during the 2015 to 2016 season.

The team's conference play took a slight hit this season, failing to post a winning record and falling in three games. Surprisingly, the team went 3-2-2 in their stellar 2015 season and notched a 2-3-2 record this season.

The team's goals-per-game greatly improved this season, thanks to a few high-scoring games in the beginning of the season. The  squad earned 2.11 goals-per-game versus just 1.50 a season ago. The team scored an incredible 40 goals in a mere 19 games. Last season, the Judges managed only 33 goals in 22 matches. The Judges seemed to get more quality shots, as indicated by their low total of 16.1 shots-per-game. This is much lower than the 20.4 shots-per-game that the team posted during last year. 

With a bevy of first-years and sophomores, the Judges will be set with a full roster of talented players going forward. 

Last season, the Judges fell in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament in an overtime heartbreaker. In the 2014 campaign, the team was bounced in the second round. The Judges will look to improve upon these last two results and advance to the coveted Final Four. 

The Judges look to continue their incredible season against Virginia Wesleyan University on Nov. 2 on the road in their first-round playoff matchup. The team will match up in the C pool.