The Brandeis women's soccer team enjoyed another successful week, recording wins over Babson College and Clark University by scores of 2-0 and 1-0, respectively. That pair of victories improved the Judges' season record to 4-0. Head Coach Denise Dallamora's squad has employed the same strategy for success all season, with superb goaltending complemented by timely goals. On Tuesday against Babson in Wellesley, Lauren Gregor '06 registered her first collegiate multi-goal game, and her two scores proved to be the difference as the Judges pulled out the 2-0 shutout victory.

Gregor wasted no time making her presence felt. Less than two minutes into the game she came up with a misplayed ball just feet from the net and booted it in for Brandeis' first goal of the afternoon.

Gregor scored her second goal of the game 16:55 into the contest when she capitalized on a ball that fell through the hands of Babson goalie Katie McMackin. Gregor extended her streak of at least one goal in every game of the season thus far.

Goalkeeper Natasha Pieciak '06 recorded three saves en route to her first shutout this season.

The Judges played host to the Clark Cougars on Saturday and put forth a strong performance, neutralizing the Clark offense.

The shutout win over Clark improved Brandeis' record to 4-0 for the second straight season. Pieciak and Mari Levine '06 were once again solid in net for the Judges, and Tri-captain Melissa DeLowe '04 scored 25 minutes into the contest when she took control of a Clark clearing pass approximately 35 yards out and skillfully dribbled around two defenders before blasting her sixth goal of the season into the upper corner of the net.

The Cougars dropped their second straight game despite impressive performances from sophomore goaltender Rebecca Dezan (she recorded 16 saves, 10 of which came in the first half).

Much of the Judges' early-season success is due to an unusually strong class of first-years, and Brandeis veterans like DeLowe and Jillian Peo '05 are more than willing to give credit to this talented group.

"We've got some very good freshmen that are really helping us ou,t and the returning veterans are stepping up," Peo said.

"We've been working really hard and we've been playing much better as a team compared to last year, Melissa Gordon '05 remarked. "The freshman class has helped us tremendously."

The Judges look to continue their early season dominance when they battle Simmons College in Boston on Wednesday and then come back home this weekend to face Springfield College. With 14 games remaining on the schedule, the Judges look to remain perfect. But they realize that the true measure of progress will be made when the UAA schedule starts with the University of Rochester on Oct. 4.

Mixed in with those games will be local rivalry game with Tufts University and Lassell College, among others.

Optimism abounds as decisive victories pile up.

"We lost four starters from last year and we had a lot of positions to fill," forward Skylar Buchanan '05 said. "We've filled them really well and we're working well as a team."

As the veterans and rookies mesh together, the Judges must keep their focus on the road ahead. Simmons College is the next step on Wednesday.

The Sharks (2-3) are led by coach Dick Dawson who, before comming to Simmons in 2001, served as an assistasnt coach at Boston University.

Last season the Sharks were 9-7, finishing third in the GNAC and advancing to the conference tournament semifinals. They will be led this year by captains Megan McGoldrick, Lesley McShea and Marry Donnington. McGoldrick started 18 games as a first-year in 2001, scoring 10 goals including six game-winners and she won Conference Rookie of the Week honors during the tournament that year. McShea has not missed a single minute in her three years as a starter for the Sharks, and Donnington is a returning starter after playing in almost every game last season for the Sharks.

Simmons faces a tough schedule this year that includes MIT and Smith College in addition to Brandeis.