The men's soccer team suffered a tough loss on Saturday to the No. 25 University of Rochester YellowJackets by a 3-2 score. With the loss, the Judges dropped to a 10-2 overall record, also falling to 1-1 in University Athletic Association play. The YellowJackets, meanwhile, moved to 9-1-1 and 2-0 in the conference.

The first half was epitomized by a hard-fought, defensive-minded possession game. It was a battle of attrition in the midfield.

Although Brandeis was able to maintain a majority of possession, it could not turn those opportunities into goals. This inability to score stemmed largely from the aggressive challenges made by Rochester senior goalkeeper Mike Moranz, whose ability to charge out of the net stopped several key chances on through balls.

Similarly, Brandeis' dominant play in the midfield and well-organized defense prevented the YellowJackets from securing any real offensive chances.

Even with a scoreless period, the Judges still felt confident in their game plan going back onto the field in the second half.

"Our plan did not change at all," said forward Tyler Savonen '15. "Going into it we were confident in our abilities to play around them and play our game and get a win. When the second half started we had that same confidence."

This confidence would pay off, though, as the Judges struck first. 10 minutes into the second half, midfielder Kyle Feather '14 sped down the left flank with the ball, cut in and sent a well-placed ball across the box to left-back Ben Applefield '14. Applefield then fired a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net, his second goal of the season. Feather additionally secured his second assist of the year.

Brandeis' lead was short-lived, however, as the YellowJackets immediately responded. Rochester won a controversial free kick 40 yards out, and from there, junior defender Andrew Sheridan sent the ball into the box, where junior defender Keith Grafmeyer was waiting. Grafmeyer headed the ball toward the left of the net, forcing net-minder Joe Graffy '15 to make a diving acrobatic save.

However, Graffy could only block the ball and no Brandeis player was there to clear the ball. Rochester sophomore defender Sean Daly capitalized, firing the ball into the roof of the net before Graffy could recover. The goal was Daly's third of the season and the assist was Grafmeyer's first.

The tie would not last long, however, as Brandeis would strike back one minute, 26 seconds later. Brandeis earned a corner kick after an impressive offensive run down the right side by forward Evan Jastremski '17. Midfielder Josh Hacunda '16 sent in a cross to fellow midfielder Jake Picard '16, who took a powerful header, forcing Moranz to make a diving save. However, Savonen was there for the second attempt and put the ball in the back of the net, earning his fourth goal of the season.

Although the Judges had a lead in hand, they started to struggle defensively. Rochester began to control the midfield, winning several challenges in the Judges' half. The YellowJackets were able to capitalize again when junior forward Alex Swanger cut to the left side of the field, blasting a shot into the bottom corner past a diving Graffy. The score then had been tied at two goals apiece.

In the 78th minute, the YellowJackets were awarded another free kick in the Judges' side of the pitch. Junior forward Shane Dobles sent the ball deep into the box, finding freshman forward Jeff Greblick. Greblick took a leaping header and put the ball into the back of the net off of the right post, giving Rochester the go-ahead goal with 12 minutes, two seconds to play.

The goal would turn out to be the game winner. Brandeis' high-pressured attack created a plethora of chances, but at the end of regulation, the Judges had nothing to show for their efforts.

Savonen explained that the loss was particularly frustrating because the Judges played well for large spans of time.
"I thought it was one of our best efforts of the season," he said. 'We played well together, especially in the first half and then at times in the second half. That's why the loss is so frustrating; I felt the way we played as a team was much better than that of Rochester."

However, Savonen remarked that he still has faith in the team in future UAA matches.

"I think we [can] win every other UAA game. We're confident in our abilities, and we know we can beat every team. We just need to maintain focus down the stretch, especially on free kicks and corners. This upcoming weekend [away matches against Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University] is huge for us."

The Judges continue their schedule with a non-conference match tonight at home against Massachusetts Maritime Academy at 7 p.m.
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