The Brandeis University women's soccer team bounced back nicely from their first loss of the season as they defeated UAA rival Case Western University (8-5-1, 1-3 UAA) 2-0 in Cleveland on Oct. 11.
Midfielder Jessica Druckman '06 scored the Judges' first goal in the 14th minute before her midfield counterpart Skylar Buchanan '06 added an insurance tally in the 82nd, securing the win for head coach Denise Dallamora's squad.
Natasha Pieciak '06 was dominant in goal, turning away all 10 Spartan shots she faced. The victory over Case allowed the Judges to start their season 10-1 for only the second time in school history. Brandeis' next task was a difficult one, as they played host to a third-ranked University of Chicago Maroons (11-0-1, 3-0-1 UAA) team on Friday.
Not unexpectedly, Brandeis suffered their worst loss of the season, as they were blanked 7-0 at home for their second defeat of the season. University of Chicago sophomore Renee Neuner scored four goals as the visiting Maroons cruised to a crucial UAA victory (they toppled NYU 3-0 on Sunday to complete a weekend UAA sweep).
The University of Chicago remained undefeated thanks in large part to Neuner's four goals and eight total points.
Brandeis had some opportunities in the early going to get on the scoreboard, but those attempts were thwarted by sophomore goaltender Andrea Przybysz, who was a brick wall in net for Chicago head coach Amy Reifert. Neuner scored the first of the seven goals for the Maroons, which was ultimately the only goal they would need on the afternoon. She booted in the first tally 22 minutes into regulation, juking past two Brandeis defenders before she fired the ball past Brandeis netminder Pieciak.
The Maroons added to their onslaught in the 34th minute when freshman forward Misa Bretschneider took advantage of a flustered Brandeis defense to score her third goal of the season.
Not to be outdone, Neuner stepped up again and scored three unanswered goals in the 43rd, 55th and 59th minutes, to cap her career day. Neuner now leads the UAA with 17 goals for this still fairly young season. Sophomore Diana Connett and senior Courtnie Hardie rounded out the scoring for the Maroons during a dominating offensive clinic.
In net for Brandeis, Pieciak played 65 minutes and recorded six saves, while Mari Levine '06 had two saves of her own, both of which came in relief of Pieciak.
The loss for the Judges dropped their record to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the UAA. On Sunday, Brandeis and Washington University played to a 1-1 tie on a rainy and cold afternoon in Waltham.
The two teams, which are tied for second place in the UAA standings, went toe-to-toe, each squad understanding what was at stake. Brandeis struck first as midfielder Julie Golomb '04 dished off a brilliant pass to forward Melissa Delowe '04, and the co-captain struck for her twelfth goal of the season.
WashU responded just three minutes later with the game-tying goal. Pieciak made 14 saves, five coming in the extra period. She made one unbelievable diving stop five minutes into overtime to keep the game tied.
"It was a really tough game," Brittany Douglass '07 said. "We had a lot of chances and we were unable to capitalize. But we played a very solid game."
The Judges escaped what could have been their first losing streak of the season.
Next up is Lasell College this Saturday at home. The Lasers, who are a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), are led by Co-Captains Jen Cronin, a senior, and Sara Phillips, a junior.
After Lasell, Brandeis travels to Plymouth State on Oct. 28. The Panthers (8-4-1) have lost three of their last five. During that stretch, Plymouth State was outscored 9-0 by Eastern Connecticut, Salem State and Keene State. The Panthers are coached by Keith Scarlett who is in his third season with the Panthers. Scarlett has a career record of 153-51-36 at the club, high school. and Collegiate level.
The Panthers are led by freshman forward Krista Pettrey of Northfield, VT, who has a team-high six goals and three assists. Captain senior back Katie Sheridan is second on the team in goals scored with four, and freshmen Kelsey MacDonald (forward) and Mary Kate Cunningham (midfielder) each have three goals.
On defense, the Panthers are anchored by sophomore keeper Hayley Quinones who had 39 saves in nine games for a .830 save percentage. Back-up goalie Beth McAloon, a sophomore, has started four games and made 32 saves for a .865 save percentage.