Prior to its final home game on Saturday against New York University, the women's soccer team honored its graduating seniors.

All five seniors-forward Megan Kessler '14, midfielders Mary Shimko '14 and Maddy Stein '14, defender Kelly Peterson '14 and goalkeeper Leah Sax '14-fittingly were featured in the starting 11 to round out memorable careers.

It would also be the seniors who played major roles in the game's results. Peterson and Stein scored second-half free kicks as Brandeis rallied from a half-time deficit to defeat visiting NYU 2-1.

Shimko's start was a symbolic gesture. She is still nursing a foot injury and was substituted out right after the opening kickoff. Shimko took the opening kickoff and controlled it for a moment before it was kicked out of bounds by a teammate. Sax was substituted in the second half as well by co-captain and usual starting keeper Michele Savuto '15.

NYU controlled the play throughout the first half while Brandeis struggled to string passes together or create any significant scoring opportunities. The Judges were made to pay for their profligacy as NYU junior forward Cami Crawford scored for the Violets just 13 minutes into the game, taking advantage of a defensive miscue that left her alone in front of the net and, in turn, very little chance for Sax to save the ball.

From that point on, the half featured very few scoring chances, as the match was defensively tight and both sides struggled to create offensive opportunities.

While the day featured significant senior leadership in the first half, it also gave the Judges a glimpse of potential for the future. Defensemen Jessica Morana '17 and Julia McDermott '17 as well as forward Cidney Moscovitch '17 all made strong cases for themselves to start next year, playing strong games in their respective positions. In addition to the trio, forward Tali Fleitman '17 and midfielder Michaela Friedman '17 had strong appearances in the first half for the Judges.

Having failed to impose itself in the first half, the Judges knew that they would have to pick up their play following the half-time break.

Just when it appeared that it wasn't Brandeis' day, co-captain Peterson started the rally off on a free kick. Peterson took a direct kick from a full 35 yards and put it over NYU freshman goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg to tie the game at one goal apiece. In a final tribute to her sterling college career, she tied up the game just as it was beginning to slip away from the Judges.

"We were aware that we had to pick it up," said Peterson. "We knew that we weren't playing that well in the first half and we wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to be the same game in the second half-and it wasn't."

Much like the Judges' first goal, the second strike came from a free-kick about 25 yards out. With just under nine minutes left, forward Sapir Edalati '15 was fouled, giving Brandeis an opportunity to make the visiting Violets pay. Stein lined up the kick. Though the Judges' attackers crowded the box for a delivery, Stein ripped a powerful high shot off the bottom of the crossbar, which headed straight down on the goal line before bouncing into the top of the net for a very timely first-career game winner and first strike of the season.

"I was just going to hit it as hard as I could," she said. "I wanted to blast it into the back of the net. It worked. It felt amazing."

"I was like 'I'm not losing at home in my last game.' Thankfully, we did not."

Brandeis hosts the first round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship versus Castleton State College tomorrow at a time to be determined.
*