Men's Soccer: Squad handles both opponents at home
The goals kept on coming for the men's soccer team on Sunday, as six different players tallied goals in the team's 6-0 home victory against Colby-Sawyer College. Midfielder Joe Eisenbies '13, midfielder Kyle Feather '14 and forwards Luke Teece '12 and Alex Farr '12 each scored in the first half, while midfielder Noah Bass '12 and forward Nick George '13 each added a strike in the second half. The Judges also defeated Clark University 1-0 on Saturday. The team has allowed zero goals this season and has scored 13, propelling the Judges to a 4-0 record.
"We didn't have any pressure on us when we attacked," said coach Michael Coven about the team's offense. "We possessed the ball very well. All 10 of our field players got in the attack, and we had six different players score."
The defense allowed Colby-Sawyer three shots through the entire match as goalkeepers Taylor Bracken '11 and Matt Lynch '11 combined to usher the team's fourth consecutive shutout this season. Of Colby-Sawyer's three shots, only one was on target, a line drive by sophomore midfielder Tyler Stotz from well outside the penalty area that Lynch saved.
The Judges shot 26 times and found their offensive groove early in the match. In just the 5th minute, Feather received a cross from midfielder Theo Terris '12 and shot on frame with a bicycle kick. Feather's shot was parried away by Colby-Sawyer senior goalkeeper Max Williams, who dove to his right to keep the shot from going in.
Minutes later, the Judges broke through after the Colby-Sawyer defense failed to clear away a cross from midfielder/forward Lee Russo '13. Eisenbies stumbled upon the ball in the penalty area, took a few touches and slotted home a low drive past Williams for the opening goal of the game.
Brandeis didn't have to wait too much longer for another chance to double their advantage. In the 18th minute, Feather broke free of his marker and powered in a free header off a corner kick from midfielder Ben Applefield '14.
Teece added Brandeis' third goal of the match in the 35th minute. Defender Matt Brondoli '14 passed over the top and into Colby-Sawyer's penalty area. Teece then connected with Brondoli's pass and scored, heading the ball in past Williams, who was 3 yards off his line.
Just 4 minutes before halftime, Brandeis added a fourth goal in the 41st minute from Farr, whose strike was an immediate contribution after he came on as a substitute for Teece one minute earlier. The ball fell to Farr's feet in the penalty area after receiving the ball from midfielder Stephen Kostel '11. Farr picked up his head, cut by a defender and shot with his left foot, firing home the Judges' fourth goal of the match into the back of the net.
"I was just standing in the right position," said Farr. "Kostel, I think, beat a guy and gave me a nice ball right off the top of the [18-yard line]. I saw the net open, so I just struck it with my left and placed it the way I wanted to, and it turned out well."
The team continued the momentum it built up in the first half into the second encounter, scoring two goals in a 5-minute span. The first tally came in the 71st minute as Bass uncorked a long range effort from outside the penalty area after receiving the ball from defender Gil Jacobs '14. Bass' drive flew into the back of the net past the outstretched reach of the goalkeeper to give Brandeis the 5-0 lead.
A few minutes later, George scored the first goal of his college career in the 75th minute after receiving the ball from midfielder Tudor Livadaru '14. George took a few touches; faced the goalkeeper; and shot a low, hard drive into the back of the net for Brandeis' sixth score of the afternoon.
"It felt pretty good," said George of his first-ever Brandeis tally. "We were switching fields from the left to the right, and we did a pretty good job of pulling the defenders in. Tudor made a nice pass to me out wide and it was a pretty easy finish."
In the match against Clark, midfielder Steve Keuchkarian '11 scored the only goal of the game in the 11th minute, propelling the Judges to victory.
The Judges took 13 shots, five of which were on goal, while Clark had only one of its three shots saved by Bracken.
The team plays today at Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 7 p.m. before returning home Thursday to play Newbury College at 6:30 p.m.
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