(10/04/11 4:00am)
The women's soccer team rebounded from its double-overtime defeat against Lasell College on Sept. 22 with a 2-0 win over Wellesley College last Tuesday. However, the Judges could not build upon this momentum last Saturday, losing 2-0 to the University of Rochester in the team's first University Athletic Association match of the season, leaving the team with a 4-6 record on the season. Entering last Saturday, the team was on a mission to even its record at .500 after the victory over Wellesley. Despite notching 13 shots overall, the Judges could not find the net and the defense eventually collapsed, coughing up two second-half scores. The YellowJackets played lock-down defense throughout the match and were able to put the game away 2-0. Both teams started out strongly on defense, with each team allowing only one shot on goal, making for a very low-key start to the match. At the start of the second half, the Judges began to slowly unravel. After allowing one shot on goal for the entire first half, the YellowJackets fired off two shots in the opening minutes of the second half at Brandeis goaltender Francine Kofinas '13, who was able to deflect both. But Rochester finally broke through in the 54th minute for the first goal of the match and the eventual game-winner. Junior forward Rachel Wesley sent a cross through the box, which senior forward Ellen Coleman slammed into the top right corner to give the YellowJackets a 1-0 lead. Rochester added an insurance goal 10 minutes later. Coleman, seeing senior midfielder Elizabeth Martens in the right corner of the box, fired a ball across the field. Martens was then able to relay a tough shot just under of the crossbar and past the outstretched hands of goalie Michelle Savuto '15 to increase the lead. The Judges had some scoring opportunities to climb back into the game with a few corner kicks and near-misses, but ultimately could not get on the scoreboard against Rochester. Coach Denise Dallamora was proud of the team's effort, but pointed out the team needs to be more consistent on the attack and make sound decisions in the game. "We need to go hard to the ball and play a little more physical," she said. "Also, we should read the game quicker; not force play but play smart, making better choices with the ball." The Judges started off the week last Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over Wellesley on its home field. The Judges outshot the Blue 24-11, with 15 of those shots on goal. Kofinas made four saves to earn her first shutout of the season. The Judges broke through early in the game with a goal in the 10th minute. Coming off a corner kick, forward Madeline Stein '14 nailed a shot right at the Wellesley goalie, who was able to make the initial save. However, senior back Ali Maresca '12 was able to slam the rebound right in the net at the 9:50 mark, putting the Judges up 1-0 with her second goal of the season. Brandeis made a statement early in the second half, tacking on another goal. Forward Sapir Edalati '15 broke out on the left side of the field and played the ball through the box to midfielder Alanna Torre '12. Torre fired the ball home for her first goal of the season, giving the Judges an extra goal to put the match away at 2-0. Edalati notched her team-leading fifth point of the season. Dallamora felt that the team was more aggressive on offense and made fewer mistakes on the defensive side of the ball, things the Judges failed to do against Rochester. "Against Wellesley, we started to mount an attack, getting good possessions and combinations to move forward," she said. "We also played a little better defense—utilizing pressure and cover more efficiently, and we did not get punished for our mistakes." The Judges head on the road this week, first taking on Babson College this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. They will then travel to Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday for a match against UAA rival Case Western Reserve University at 11 a.m.
(10/04/11 4:00am)
After starting the season off strong, the volleyball squad has faltered lately, falling below .500 for the first time this season. Last weekend, it was a similar story, as the Judges were swept by both New York University and Washington University in St. Louis last Saturday before falling to Carnegie Mellon University 3-1 last Sunday at the University Athletic Association round-robin tournament.
(09/19/11 4:00am)
The volleyball team continued to impress last week, taking two out of three matches to improve to a 7-3 record on the year. Before an extremely close 3-2 loss to Colby-Sawyer College to end the week, the Judges pulled off 3-1 wins against both Emmanuel College and Endicott College.
(09/13/11 4:00am)
Last weekend, the volleyball team clinched the Brandeis Invitational in convincing fashion, sweeping all three of its opponents. With a 5-2 record, the Judges looked like a completely different team than the one that was defeated by Wellesley College last Tuesday night in straight sets.
(09/06/11 4:00am)
After struggling down the stretch last season, the volleyball team kicked off the year on a high note, winning its first two games of the season before losing to host Western Connecticut State University. The Judges made a statement in their first two games, sweeping both Johnson and Wales University and Kean University. However, the team ended the tournament with a 3-0 loss to host Western Connecticut State and finished in second. Coach Michelle Kim was proud of the team's play over the weekend. "We definitely got [off] to a good start—the team got used to playing with each other and that resulted in some great victories," she said. Brandeis started off the season with a bang by sweeping Johnson and Wales by scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-22. From the first play, the Judges took control and never looked back. Several rookies led the way to victory, displaying the new talent that this year's first-years have to offer. Outside hitter Elizabeth Hood '15 shone in her collegiate debut, leading the team with nine kills and also contributing six digs and two blocks. On the defensive end, Elsie Bernaiche '15 set the tone with 19 digs. Kim was impressed by her rookies' play in the invitational. "Given it was their first collegiate match, they played well—they've been practicing a lot in the preseason, and they're getting used to playing with the team," she said. Outside hitter Si-Si Hensley '14 was second on the team with eight kills. Becca Fischer '13 was flawless at middle blocker, nailing seven kills without committing an error while also adding three blocks. Yael Einhorn '14, in her first game as primary setter, had an impressive 28 assists. Last Saturday, Brandeis made a statement by sweeping Kean University in the first half of a doubleheader, winning 25-14, 25-12 and 25-20. The team was incredibly efficient on the offensive side and made few mistakes, making just eight unforced errors. Hood followed up her debut with another terrific game, nailing 12 kills with only one error. Anchoring the defense once again, Bernaiche led the team with 12 digs. Einhorn put in another solid effort, racking up 38 assists and six digs. Hensley contributed 11 kills and four digs, while defensive specialist Susan Sun '13 added seven kills and seven digs. The Judges ended the weekend on a sour note as they were swept by Western Connecticut State by scores of 26-24, 25-19 and 28-26. Brandeis had the chance to close out the Colonials in the first and third sets, but could not finish them off as they went into overtime and ultimately lost. At 2-1, the Judges are off to a good start but Kim noted that some improvements were necessary before heading into next week's action. "Our main problem is we need to be more consistent—especially with ball control and passing," she said. "We need to get into a rhythm and the players need to be more comfortable with each other. That will hopefully be resolved as we head deeper into the season." Brandeis will take on Wellesley College tonight at 7 p.m. The team will then host the annual Brandeis Invitational this weekend, facing Babson College and Bates College on Friday, followed by a match against Rhode Island College on Saturday afternoon.
(08/30/11 4:00am)
Led by captains Abby and Paige Blasco '11 and Nicole Smith '11, the volleyball team was poised to make a run for the University Athletic Association title last fall. While the team fought admirably, their efforts fell short, and the squad finished seventh in the UAA. Now, with the faces of Brandeis volleyball departed for their post-graduate plans, it's up to a new team to rebound.
(05/24/11 4:00am)
The second-seeded baseball team suffered a tough 8-5 upset loss in the first round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament to seventh-seeded Anna Maria College last Wednesday afternoon. Despite an early exit from the postseason, Brandeis finished its season at a solid 24-19, a marked improvement from the previous season. "I think we had a great season," shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 said. "It was a real improvement from the last couple years, and we got noticeably better as the year went on."John McGrath '11, recently named to the All-University Athletic Association baseball team as a first-team selection at pitcher, could not get the job done, surrendering two earned runs while notching five strikeouts over six innings in his first loss of the season. Catcher Chris Ferro '13 started off the action in the second inning with a sacrifice fly to give the Judges a 1-0 lead. However, McGrath could not hold the lead for the Judges in the top of the third inning, giving up three unearned runs. In the bottom of the frame, Brandeis quickly responded with two more runs to even the score at 3-3. First baseman Eric Rosenberg '11, who had three RBIs in a valiant effort to extend his career for another day, belted a two-run single to tie the game. After an inning of scoreless action, Anna Maria regained control of the game in the fifth inning with back-to-back RBI singles, giving the AMCATS a 5-3 lead. Brandeis responded to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning on another RBI by Rosenberg. The game settled down until Anna Maria's bats came alive in the eighth inning. After getting the Judges out of a jam in the top of the seventh inning, Pat Nicholson '11 gave up three runs in the frame. "After loading the bases on a walk, an error and a hit batter, Nicholson struck out the next batter before ceding the game-changing hit. Sophomore third baseman Justin Hyland blasted a two-run double into the gap to give Anna Maria a 7-4 lead. Nicholson would give up another run on a wild pitch to keep the game at 8-4. Outfielder Sean O'Hare '12 added an RBI single in the bottom of the frame, but the Judges would get no closer."We just didn't finish the way we wanted to," Schwartz said of the team's play down the stretch. "We had a rough stretch at the end where I think we could've played better and that carried over to the ECAC game. We made some costly mistakes and didn't capitalize when we had the chances."Following the loss, the team will lose this year's crop of seniors, which includes Rosenberg, pitcher Rephael Stern, Nicholson (though he does have one more season of eligibility after missing last year with Tommy John surgery), McGrath and shortstop/outfielder Tony Deshler. Though the team will certainly suffer from losing key members, Schwartz said the team's future looks bright after a solid season."I think we can build off of this great season and have an even better one next year with a lot of talented incoming freshmen," he said. "Even though this season just ended, I'm already excited for the next one and eager to see what we're capable of.
(05/03/11 4:00am)
Correction appendedIn a hectic week near the end of its regular season, the baseball team went 3-4, and now stands at 27-14. Brandeis managed to win two of its first three games during the week but could not get it done during the final weekend of play, dropping three out of four games in back-to-back doubleheaders against Trinity College and Springfield College.Shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 noted that the difficulties the team encountered were ones that had plagued the players all season."The problem is we are just inconsistent," he said. "Some games it's our hitting that shines, others it's our pitching. We haven't been able to put the two together, and that is how you win ball games." In the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, Brandeis fought hard but lost to Trinity 4-3. Coach Pete Varney used six different pitchers during the game, but Stefan Weiss '13 gave up two runs in relief, and was charged with the loss. Brandeis broke out of its offensive funk with a three-run first inning on an RBI single by first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11 and an RBI double from second baseman Sean O'Hare '12. Unfortunately, Trinity put up four runs in the next two innings and the Judges' bats went quiet for the rest of the game. Earlier in the day, despite a complete game from pitcher Michael Swerdloff '13, the Judges could not pull off the win, losing 5-2. Swerdloff was charged with the loss but only allowed three earned runs to go along with seven strikeouts. After Trinity jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Judges tied the game by the third inning with a sacrifice fly by third baseman Brian Ing '14 and an RBI groundout by first baseman Pat Nicholson '11. However, Brandeis' bats again fell quiet for the rest of the game, and Trinity got to Swerdloff for three more runs to win the game. Nicholson was dominant in the second half of an afternoon doubleheader against Springfield on Saturday, going the distance for the Judges in a 4-0 victory. He scattered five hits throughout the game, not surrendering a single run. Nicholson broke through on the offensive side as well, bringing in a runner on a double play in the first inning and later contributing an RBI single. An RBI double by Ing sealed Springfield's fate. In the first game, the Judges fought hard but could not overcome a big seventh inning by Springfield, losing 11-8. John McGrath '11 pitched six innings, giving up six runs and striking out four, but did not earn a decision in the game. Brandeis broke open the game with three RBI doubles by Nicholson, Schwartz and centerfielder Tony Deshler '11 in a four-run second inning. With a 5-4 Springfield lead in the sixth inning, outfielder Nick Cortese '13 belted a two-run homer and catcher Kenny Destremps '12 added another RBI double to give the Judges a 7-4 lead. However, Brandeis couldn't protect the lead in the top of the seventh inning and eventually lost by a score of 11-8.Last Thursday, the Judges looked to extend their five-game winning streak against No. 4 Keene State University. However, the Judges faltered and lost 8-2 in a game shortened by rain. Colin Markel '14 was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs in four innings of work. Keene State pounced early on Markel, bringing in three runs in the first inning. Brandeis was able to cut the lead to 3-2 by the fourth inning with an RBI double by Nicholson and an RBI single by catcher Chris Ferro '13. However, the Judges' pitching ceded five more runs to Keene, and the team's bats went quiet for the rest of the game.Last Wednesday, Brandeis pulled off an exhilarating 8-7 victory in extra innings over Bowdoin College. Dylan Britton '13 pitched seven innings, giving up four earned runs. Alex Tynan '12 earned his third win of the season, by pitching two scoreless innings to close out the game. Down 4-0 in the sixth inning, the Judges found their offensive groove and knocked in seven runs over the next two innings. Deshler began the onslaught with a two-run homer. In the next inning, O'Hare pulled through with a huge grand slam to put the Judges up 6-4. Deshler came through again with an RBI single to increase the lead to 7-4 and seemingly put the game out of reach. However, Brandeis could not close it out, and Bowdoin tied the game in the ninth inning with two more runs. Destremps provided the biggest homer of all, breaking the game open in the 11th with a solo shot to seal the game at 8-7. The Judges started out the week last Tuesday with a 4-3 win over Endicott College. Swerdloff pitched six solid innings, allowing only one earned run. Markel earned his second win of the season and Ing his second save. By the bottom of the seventh inning and facing a 3-0 deficit, O'Hare broke through with a two-run triple and then scored home on a wild pitch to tie the game at three runs apiece. Ferro executed a sacrifice bunt perfectly in the next inning to give the Judges the lead and ultimately the game at 4-3.Whether or not the team will make the playoffs is unclear, but Schwartz said that, in any case, the team was happy with how the season went. "Despite this weekend, I think we've had a great season thus far," he said. "We started off a little slow but then started finding ways to win games. I think we've proven we can compete and give a lot of trouble to any team out there."Schwartz also felt very positive about the team's prospects for next season."I think the future is bright for our team; we have a lot of talented players even with our departing seniors," he said. "However, the rest of the year is what we need to focus on." Brandeis will play its final game of the season at Amherst College today at 3:00 p.m.Editor's note: This article has been edited to reflect the following correction: Stefan Weiss '13 picked up the loss in the second game of Brandeis' doubleheader last Sunday, not Rafi Stern '11. Additionally, the article incorrectly implied that the team's season was over, when it in fact had one more regular season game.
(04/05/11 4:00am)
For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year.Bruins right wing Michael Ryder entered last Saturday's game against the Atlanta Thrashers having not scored a goal in his last 12 games. However, Ryder broke his scoreless streak with a successful penalty shot with 7 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Bruins a 3-2 win and a division crown. "I knew if I could score, it would get the team going," Ryder said. "We have a few games left, and we're hoping we can move up even further."The win allowed the Bruins-who lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shoot-out last Thursday and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 last Tuesday to clinch the Northeast Division title. With the win over the Thrashers, the Bruins are now 44-23-11 and can finish no worse than the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. "[The division is] what a lot of teams battle for," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "I'm just glad that's out of the way. We've got to keep winning games and see where we end up."Ryder was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped by Thrashers defenseman Johnny Oduya while he was on a breakaway. Ryder put the penalty above Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec's left shoulder, giving Ryder his 18th goal of the season and the Bruins a one-goal advantage they would keep for the rest of the game. "It's nice to see him score that goal," Julien said. "It's a step in the right direction. When he starts getting his confidence out there and allowing things to happen and not thinking about things, he's going to be a good player again."The Bruins were on the attack from the start of the game and struck first when right wing Mark Recchi scored 4:34 into the game. Bruins center Brad Marchand backhanded the puck past Pavelec, leaving Recchi an open net to score on. However, with 8:49 left in the first period, the Thrashers answered back to tie the game with a power-play goal from Thrashers defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who scored after Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask could not secure a slap shot by Atlanta defender Zach Bogosian.The Thrashers took a 2-1 lead 1:37 into the start of the second period on a goal from left wing Evander Kane. Bruins left wing Milan Lucic blocked a shot, which also caused Rask to go down to the ice to save the shot. The puck rebounded right in front of the net, where Kane was able to get it past the reach of Rask for his 19th goal of the season. Bruins defenseman Daniel Paille drew Boston level just minutes later on a shorthanded goal, and the game remained tied until Ryder's goal clinched the win for the Bruins.Prior to the game, Marchand was awarded the Seventh Player Award, which is voted on by Bruins fans onNESN.com to the player who best exceeds expectations. Marchand, a rookie who has 21 goals and 20 assists, will receive $5,000 to donate to the charity of his choice."It was a question mark if I was even going to be on the team this year,'' Marchand said. "It's an honor to win that award; it's special.''Against the Maple Leafs last Thursday, the Bruins lost 4-3 in shoot-outs. At 7:06 in the first period, Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn crossed a pass through the middle of the crease. Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle sprinted to the puck in a bid to break up the pass, but instead he deflected it into his own net. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas' shutout was snapped at 122 minutes. In the second period, the Bruins got off to a hot start, scoring on a shorthanded goal. Marchand stole a lazy Toronto pass in the neutral zone, broke to the net and deked to his left, causing Leafs goaltender James Reimer to lunge for the puck. Marchand then brought the puck to his right and easily backhanded the puck into the net.One minute later, Lucic moved to the left of the net and passed the puck in front of the net to center David Krejci, who flipped the puck into the right side of the net, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead. The lead wouldn't last long though, as Toronto left wing Joffrey Lupul added a shorthanded goal of his own a few minutes later. Just 1:25 later, defenseman Andrew Ference reclaimed the lead for Boston.At 7:53 in the third, Lupul snapped the puck past Thomas to tie the game at 3-3, precipitating overtime. During overtime, a controversial penalty shot was awarded to the Maple Leafs, but center Mikhail Grabovski was denied at the low right side of the net by Thomas. Thomas' save prompted loud chants of "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.." Neither team converted on multiple opportunities. This lead to shoot-outs, which the Leafs handled without much drama.To open up the week, the Bruins squared off against the defending-champion Blackhawks. Due to flawless goaltending by Thomas and an offense outburst in the last two periods, Boston blanked the Blackhawks 3-0."We played well and brought our best," Thomas said. "Our players were in the right places position-wide, and we battled through until we were able to break out [with the goals]."The first period, a defensive battle, ended in a 0-0 stalemate. The goalies for both teams were impenetrable in the crease, especially Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, who saved 12 Bruins shots. At the start of the second period, Bruins left wing Shawn Thornton took a skate to the face, causing a massive gash that required more than 40 stitches. The scene caused several fights in the next few minutes and seemed to wake up the Bruins. Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara finally broke through at 12:02 in the period with a slicing goal-his 14th of the season lead. Centers Patrice Bergeron and Marchand came up with the assists. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk soon followed with a well-placed shot past Crawford, increasing Boston's lead to 2-0. Lucic and Recchi each earned assists. With the assist, Recchi earned his 1532nd point, passing defenseman Paul Coffey for the 12th-most points all time. The Bruins' offensive onslaught continued into the third period. At 5:20, right wing Nathan Horton tapped in the puck past Crawford's weak side. Paille and center Gregory Campbell each came up with the assists.The Bruins' next game takes place tomorrow night at home against the New York Islanders. They will then face the Ottawa Senators Saturday night in Boston and will conclude the regular season Sunday on the road against the New Jersey Devils.
(04/05/11 4:00am)
The baseball team looked sharp as it continued its homestand last week, winning all three of its games to improve to 13-10 on the season. Brandeis easily defeated Suffolk University and then proceeded to score 19 runs en route to sweeping a doubleheader against Worcester Polytechnic Institute last Sunday afternoon. Rookie shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 was proud of the team's effort."We're getting much better and that shows based on our wins this week," he said.In the second game against WPI, the Judges were able to hold on for an 8-7 win after a furious comeback by WPI in the ninth inning. Pitcher Michael Swerdloff '13 turned in a dominant performance for his second win of the season, giving up two runs over six innings while striking out a season-high 11 batters. Brandeis scattered eight runs throughout the game, beginning with back-to-back RBI doubles from catcher Chris Ferro '12 and first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11 in the first inning. Following a sacrifice fly in the second inning, Sean O'Hare '12 and Brian Ing '14 contributed consecutive RBI singles in the third inning to stretch the lead to 5-0. In the sixth inning, Brandeis continued its offensive outburst, with an RBI triple from outfielder Tony Deshler '11 and then a final RBI single from outfielder Nick Cortese '13. With an 8-2 lead in the seventh inning and star pitcher Pat Nicholson '11 on the mound, the Judges thought that they had locked up the victory. However, Nicholson ceded a grand slam, and suddenly the game was within reach for WPI. However, Nicholson calmed down and secured the last two outs to secure an 8-7 win. Schwartz said that the Judges should have been able to avoid such a close call."This proved to us we need to be competitive in every match, not only at the start but also in the bottom of the seventh inning, regardless of the outcome," he said.Earlier in the day, Brandeis' offense was even more prolific, pouring in 12 runs to take the game by a score of 12-5. Dylan Britton '13 pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on the day. Nicholson, McGrath, and pitcher Alex Tynan '12 all put forth scoreless efforts to keep the game out of reach for WPI. The Judges began their run-scoring binge with a two-run homer by Ferro in the first and a crushing three-run long ball by Deshler to give the team a lead it would never relinquish. After three more runs with the small ball, the Judges ended the game with an explosive four-run sixth. Nicholson ripped a single to left field, which brought in Cortese and Deshler, Ferro bashed an RBI triple and Rosenberg belted a sacrifice fly to ensure a 12-5 Brandeis win. The Judges started the week against Suffolk University last Wednesday with a 6-4 win. John McGrath '11 earned his fourth victory of the season, giving up three runs and striking out five in 7 and a 1/3 innings of work. Nicholson went the rest of the way, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings to notch his first save of the season.Suffolk held on to a 2-0 lead going into the fourth inning before Brandeis' bats finally awoke. After back-to-back singles, Ferro dropped a perfect bunt single, driving Cortese home. O'Hare then drilled a grounder right to the pitcher, but the ball was mishandled, allowing Nicholson and Ferro to race home to give Brandeis a 3-2 lead. In the fifth inning, the Judges capitalized on more poor defense from Suffolk. After Britton reached first on an error by the shortstop, he moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Schwartz and a ground out by Deshler. Cortese then smacked a grounder to short which was mishandled, giving Britton the opportunity to race home. Ferro then put the game away with a 2-run double, giving the Judges a 6-2 lead. The four run lead was all the Brandeis pitching staff needed, and the team won 6-4.Overall, Schwartz was positive about the team's direction at this point of the season. "We're heading in the right direction, but there are still a lot of things we can improve on at the plate, on the bases and in the field," he said. "Once we cut down on some of the little mistakes, we will be a really tough team to beat."Brandeis will host Tufts University this afternoon at 3 p.m.
(03/29/11 4:00am)
The baseball team began a 13-game homestand last week, completing a stretch of five games in 6 days with a 2-3 record, which leveled the team's record out at 10-10 for the season. The team started the week on a high note, but fatigue took its toll last Sunday as the Judges faltered against Framingham State University in an afternoon double-header.Brandeis' offense was shut down by the Rams in the team's second game, earning only one hit-a single by Tony Deshler '11 in the first inning. Colin Markel '14 was tagged with the loss, giving up 3 runs, 1 earned, in 4 2/3 innings of work as the Judges lost 4-0. The first game between the two was even worse for Brandeis, as Framingham State handed the team an 18-3 loss, Brandeis' worst defeat of the season. Pitcher Dylan Britton '13, coming off a domineering performance earlier this week, was shelled and only lasted one inning.In the bottom of the first inning, after Britton was tagged for 4 runs, the Judges showed some signs of life. Catcher Chris Ferro '13 brought in a runner from second on a well-placed single and a routine grounder by first baseman Pat Nicholson '11 was overthrown by the Rams' shortstop, leading to two more runs. From there, however, the Rams kept pouring in the runs, and the Judges were shut down the rest of the way. Shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 was disappointed with the team's performance."We definitely had the potential to beat these teams and our squad is really coming together as a whole, but our main problem is that we're still making a lot of fundamental mistakes both offensively and defensively," Schwartz said. "If we can just cut down on these fundamental errors and correct our mechanics, we can get a lot more wins." Last Thursday, in the team's third game in as many days, the Judges exploded for a season-high 12 runs and 14 hits in a 12-6 rout of Salve Regina University. John McGrath '11 pitched seven strong innings, ceding only one earned run while adding eight strikeouts, earning his third win of the season. Brandeis jumped out to a quick start with five runs in the second inning. Outfielders Nick Cortese '13 and Tony Deshler '11 and Schwartz all contributed RBI singles, while Sean O'Hare '12 drove in two more with a crushing double. The third inning played out almost the same as the Judges delivered four more runs, again with RBI singles by Cortese and Schwartz as well as a two-run double from O'Hare. Last Wednesday afternoon was a different story as Brandeis had a classic low-scoring duel with the Wentworth Institute of Technology before losing 5-4 in extra innings. Michael Swerdloff '13 started for the Judges with a solid performance, giving up three runs in seven innings of work.Brandeis relied on the small ball for much of the game, only recording one extra-base hit through 10 innings of play. The game was tied at three after nine innings before Wentworth went in front on a two-run double in the top of the tenth. Third baseman Jon Chu '12 hit an RBI single to make it a one-run game, but it was as close as Brandeis would get, and the team lost 5-4.The Judges started off the homestand with a commanding 8-3 victory over Salem State University. Britton scattered three runs, only one of them earned, through seven solid innings while also notching seven strikeouts. In the first inning, Chu launched a sacrifice fly and first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11 belted a two-run single to jump out to a 3-1 lead. In the fifth, the Judges gave Britton all the support he needed with RBI singles by Chu and Nicholson, as well as back-to-back RBI doubles by Rosenberg and Cortese. Dylan, Brian Ing '14, and Alex Tynan '12 all pitched well in relief to cement the 8-3 victory.Schwartz was positive about the team's progression through the season. "We've been playing well for the most part lately and I think we're getting better as the season goes on," he said. "Once again, if we improve on some basic aspects and become more consistent, we can rack up victories." Brandeis faces Suffolk University tomorrow at 3 p.m.
(03/22/11 4:00am)
After being postponed a day due to rain, the baseball team weathered the storm to win a nail-biting 6-5 victory over Bridgewater State University last Friday. The Judges improved to 8-7 on the season after holding on against a frantic comeback by the Bears. Brandeis designated hitter/pitcher Pat Nicholson '11 was the standout in the game, going 3-for-5 with a key RBI double and shutting down the Bears over the last 1 1/3 innings to earn his second save of the season. Nicholson said that, though he is used to playing both sides of the ball, he hasn't contributed much offensively in the past."I'm generally used to hitting and pitching in practices, and did so in the past, but haven't really done [much] offensively in college," he said.Brandeis tacked on three runs in both the third and fourth innings to jump out to a 6-0 lead. In the third, rookie shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 led off with a single, and second baseman Sean O'Hare '12 belted a deep sacrifice fly to drive him home for a 1-0 lead. Third baseman John Chu '12 was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a single by catcher Chris Ferro '13. Nicholson then had his biggest hit of the day with a clutch two-run double to extend the lead to 3-0. The Judges continued their offensive surge in the fourth inning, hitting three doubles to score three more runs. Right fielder Andrew Cohen '13 began the onslaught with a double and then stole third on the next pitch. Schwartz hit a double of his own to drive Cohen home, continuing his torrid start to the season. Ever since starting at shortstop against the University of Rochester in the team's first University Athletic Association game, Schwartz has hit at a .333 clip and driven in five RBIs.O'Hare then hit the third double down the left field line to drive in Schwartz for a 5-0 lead. Chu finished the team's production with a RBI single, providing Brandeis with all the runs needed to secure the victory.In total, the top five of the Brandeis order-Deschler, O'Hare, Chu, Ferro and Nicholson-combined for nine hits and five RBIs.However, the Bears did not lie down quietly. After being shut down by John McGrath '11 for four innings, Bridgewater State was finally able to rattle him in the fifth inning with back-to-back homers to cut the lead to 6-3. McGrath would calm down to deliver two more strong innings, but the Bears tagged him for another run in the eighth inning to end his night. McGrath finished the day with seven solid innings of work, giving up four runs on five hits and adding seven strikeouts. "He is an excellent starter and I'm glad we saw him at the top of his game," Nicholson said of McGrath. "He's an integral part of our pitching staff and crucial to how we do in the future."In order to get the next three outs Brandeis had to use three pitchers. Before Nicholson took over for the final four outs Jesse Link '13 and Colin Markel '14 recorded two key strikeouts but in the process surrendered runs on a double and a wild pitch. Michael Swerdloff '13 came in for just one batter, hitting him with a pitch. Nicholson walked the first batter he faced, bringing in a run that was credited to Link. With the bases still loaded, Nicholson got the out and was able to shut down the Bears the rest of the way."Overall, we played pretty well," Nicholson said. "[We] especially locked down on defense. Defense wins games; it's as simple as that."Nicholson did still feel that the team has room to improve and must work on not letting their opponents back into the game."We almost let this game, and others earlier in the season, get away from us," he said. "We need to learn to put games away if we want to build upon our success."Brandeis opens up a 13-game homestand with three games this week. The team hosts the Wentworth Institute of Technology tomorrow and Salve Regina University on Thursday and conclude play this week with a Sunday doubleheader against the Framingham State University Rams.
(03/15/11 4:00am)
The baseball team embarked on its most difficult stretch of the season last week, competing in seven games in classic baseball weather in Sanford, Fla. Brandeis easily handled both of its non-conference opponents and went 2-3 in the University Athletic Association Tournament. It was a marked improvement over last year's efforts, when the team went 1-4, losing all four games by at least six runs. "I think we played some good games, some where our pitching was dominant and others where our situational hitting carried us," shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 said. "Our team was able to contribute on both sides of the field and really displayed resilience during a tough stretch."In their last game of the weekend, the Judges admirably fought against a powerful Case Western Reserve University team but could not prevail, losing 8-4 to the Spartans. Pat Nicholson '11 took the loss, surrendering four runs over five innings. RBI singles by outfielder Andrew Cohen '13, third baseman Jon Chu '12 and outfielder Nick Cortese '13 put Brandeis within striking distance of overtaking Case after Nicholson settled down, but Case scored four more quick runs to put the game out of reach. Brandeis had immense difficulty handling Emory University in the tournament, ceding 12 runs last Saturday in their second loss of the week to the Eagles. Pitcher Colin Markel '14, making his second start of the week, held up well against a potent Eagles offense until the fourth inning, when the Eagles started scoring in bunches. Brandeis put together five runs in the second and third innings on just one hit, a two-run single by Schwartz. Leading 8-5 in the fifth inning, the Eagles' pitching staff shut down the Brandeis offense and never looked back, tacking on four more runs for a 12-5 victory.The Judges bested Washington University in St. Louis the day before with a 5-2 win. Once again, Brandeis relied on solid starting pitching, this time from John McGrath '11. McGrath gave up just 1 earned run over seven and two-thirds innings. The Judges kept the game tight, matching the Bears pitch for pitch, until Brandeis blew the game open with a four-run seventh inning. Chu and Cortese contributed RBI singles while Tony Deshler '11 had a two-run double. Nicholson locked down the save for Brandeis. Brandeis earned its first UAA win of the season in a thrilling 12-inning, 7-6 victory over the University of Rochester. Dylan Britton '13 pitched six innings of one-run ball. By the seventh inning, it looked like a low-scoring affair, the only run coming from a RBI single by catcher/outfielder Kenny Destremps '12. In the next three innings, however, the teams combined for 11 runs. RBI singles by Schwartz and Deshler in addition to a few key errors at the top of the ninth inning pushed the game into extra innings tied at 6. It was a stalemate until first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11 hit a single into center in the 12th, notching the game-winner for the Judges. Brian Ing '14 stepped up and pitched three innings of shutout ball in extra innings to secure the 7-6 victory. However, the Judges did not start off well in their slate of UAA games, getting blown out 11-3 by Emory. pitcher Mike Swerdloff '13 was hit hard in his start, giving up nine runs, though only four were earned. He lasted five and two-thirds innings. The Judges tied the game at 2 in the third inning on RBI singles by Deshler and outfielder Zach Malis '12. From there, Emory tagged the Judges' pitching staff for nine runs, with the Judges scoring just once the rest of the way.In non-conference action, Brandeis won a nail-biting 3-2 victory over Mount Saint Mary College. The pitching was nearly flawless, with Colin Markel '14 providing four strong innings to start the game. From there, Alex Tynan '12 pitched one and two-thirds innings to secure his second win of the season, with Swerdloff earning his first save. It was a classic pitcher's duel between the two teams until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Rosenberg belted an RBI triple and Malis knocked in another runner to take a 2-0 lead. The Judges never relinquished the lead, and won 3-2. In their first game of the week, the Brandeis offense exploded for 12 runs against Drew University to win the game by a score of 12-6. Ing started for the Judges, but only lasted an inning, giving up 2 runs on two hits. McGrath and Jessie Link '13 then combined for six strong innings, allowing one run each. Link earned the victory for the Judges. Brandeis immediately tacked four runs on the scoreboard, thanks in large part to a two-run triple by Deshler. The Judges ran away with the game in the third inning, puting together four more runs. Reflecting on the tournament, Schwartz thinks the team has room for improvement heading into the next part of its season. "What we're lacking right now is consistency," he said. "We have to cut down the mental mistakes and focus for all nine innings. This tournament definitely showed we have the potential to win a lot of games in the next few months."The Judges will play just one game this week, on Thursday at Bridgewater State University.
(03/08/11 5:00am)
A week before the NCAA Championships next weekend, the men's and women's track teams faced their stiffest competition to date this season, facing teams from across the East Coast in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships at New York University last weekend. Competing against over 50 teams whose athletes qualified for the event, both squads had strong personal times despite disappointing overall results.On the men's side, Devon Holgate '11 finished an impressive sixth out of 30 competitors in the 1-mile run with a time of 4 minutes, 14 seconds. It was the men's team's only 3 points in the meet. In the 3,000-meter run, Ed Colvin '14 notably placed 14th with a time of 9:00.69. Dan Anastos '11 finished 7 seconds behind Colvin, good for 16th place.Vincent Asante '14, recently named University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year, notched a school record in the men's 55-meter dash with a time of 6.48 seconds. The finish earned him 10th place in the event. Asante also placed 32nd in the 200-meter dash, while Charlie Pino '12 finished the 200 in 30th place. Distance runner Chris Brown '12 was extremely impressed with Asante and Pino's efforts. "They all were amazing, notching personal bests or tying school records," he said. "We could really use those types of performances next weekend at Nationals."In the distance medley, Brown, Brian Foley '13, Mik Kern '13 and Mingkai Lin '12 pieced together a 10:09.50 finish, good for ninth out of 21 teams. The men's team overall earned 44th place out of 51 teams. Brown was proud of his team's efforts last weekend."We've worked toward this all season. A lot of us are tired, but we're heading to our final competition next weekend, and we just have to keep putting forth our best effort like we did at NYU," he said.The women had their fair share of success as well last weekend. Marie Lemay '11 notched a seventh-place finish in the 1-mile run, with a time of 5:03.92. She received 2 points in the event for her accomplishment.Annifreed Sinjour '13 ran the 400-meter dash in 59.75 seconds, a personal best for her, and good for 16th place in the event. In the 1,000-meter run, Victoria Sanford placed 25th, finishing in 3:07.33. In other events, Lily Parenteau '12 finished 10th in the high jump, reaching 1.58 meters. Lucia Capano '11 landed 17th in the triple jump at 10.79 meters. Kim Farrington '13 was not far behind Capano, grabbing 21st with a length of 10.72 meters.Capano also finished 21st in the long jump, jumping 4.85 meters.Overall, the women placed 40th out of 45 competing teams. Lemay was satisfied with the team's overall performance. "This was not a meet that everyone qualified for," she explained. "Some people ran really well, such as [Sinjour], and others had off days. We just have to build upon these performances heading into Nationals next weekend."She also said that the team was very excited for Nationals. "We're really pumped," she said. "It should be a great meet and we can definitely build upon some solid performances from ECAC's."Both teams are set for their final indoor track meet of the season, the NCAA Division III Championships, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
(02/15/11 5:00am)
The women's fencing team had an action-packed week, hosting Wellesley College in a home meet last Wednesday before traveling to the Stevens Institute of Technology for the Stevens Tech Meet last Sunday. The women notched an overall 4-1 record at Stevens against the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Farleigh Dickinson University, Temple University and host Stevens. The team also pulled out a 14-13 win over the Wellesley Blue in an extremely close match.The women prevailed in a 17-10 match against Stevens while comfortably beating NJIT by a 20-7 margin. The Judges also comfortably defeated FDU, winning 21-6. The team's bout against Johns Hopkins was extremely exciting and came down to the wire before the Judges were able to pull out with the 14-13 nail-biting victory.The team did suffer a 21-6 loss at the hands of Temple.Overall, coach Bill Shipman said that he was proud of the team's performance. "They did extremely well, only losing once, while notching some impressive victories. . Our team is in the process of overcoming the loss of some of our most experienced fencers during the season and has done so with good wins over [New York University] and Wellesley."Saber was the team's strongest weapon, as Zoe Messinger '13 earned a 9-3 record and Anna Hanley '11 went 8-4 on the day's action. Messinger earned University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week honors for her results. Vikki Nunley '13 led the foil squad with a formidable 11-4 margin at the tournament. Captain Emma Larkin '11, an épée fencer, agreed with Shipman that the team had a great tournament."Overall, we performed well, and even with the loss against Temple, the épée team did a good job on the day," she said.The Judges' victory in the Wellesley meet did not come without its challenges. The meet was originally scheduled to take place 3 weeks ago but was postponed twice due to snow. Finally set to begin, Larkin was struck with food poisoning, placing the team at a notable disadvantage. The épée team lost 7-2 against an experienced squad, with both wins coming from Leah Mack '14. The foil team, distinct for its youth, had difficulty handling Wellesley's top seniors but impressively held on to clinch the victory, thanks in large part to a notable 5-1 win by Alex Turner '11 in the third round. "This was a good meet for some of our younger fencers, who will gain some more experience in preparing to compete for future meets, including Stevens Tech on Sunday."Once again, saber was where the Judges held their best advantage. The team triumphed with an undefeated 9-0 record over the Blue. Hanley, Messinger and Emmily Smith '13 all contributed three wins to the decisive victory. "We knew we had the advantage in saber, and we made the most of it," Shipman said. "There were several close bouts, but fortunately we were able to win all nine." "Focus was the key this week," Larkin said of the team's wins on the week. "We tried our hardest against our teams and put forth our best effort. That's what makes the difference in these bouts." The women, along with the men's fencers, host the Boston Beanpot Tournament tomorrow at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, where they will take on Harvard University, Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
(02/08/11 5:00am)
For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year. Three fights, two goals and an angry crowd made for a historically tumultuous first 80 seconds of play last Thursday night at the TD Garden in Boston. After an additional seven goals and a headshot that resulted in a lengthy suspension, the Boston Bruins came out on top, 6-3, over the Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars.The Bruins failed to carry the momentum to their next game, falling 2-0 to the San Jose Sharks last Saturday. The team now stands at 30-16-7, good for first in the Northeast Division.One second after the opening faceoff against Dallas, a fight broke out between Bruins forward Gregory Campbell and Stars forward Steve Ott. The two men grappled with each other and threw short hooks before the refs broke up the fight after 10 seconds.On the next faceoff just 1 second later, Bruins forward Shawn Thornton and Stars forward Krystofer Barch mixed it up. The two threw down their gloves and multiple punches were thrown. Two seconds later, defenseman Adam McQuaid of the Bruins and forward Brian Sutherby of the Stars got in each other's faces. McQuaid took down Sutherby and pummeled him, repeatedly punching him in the face.According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time six fighting majors were called in the first 5 seconds of a game occurred in a game between the Montreal Canadians and the Buffalo Sabers on March 22, 1996.Thirty-five seconds into the game, the Bruins scored. On a two-on-one breakaway, Bruins forward David Krejci passed it to a waiting and eager Milan Lucic 5 feet away on Stars goalie Andrew Raycroft's right side. Lucic flipped the puck over the goalie's left shoulder.Lightning struck twice, as the Bruins scored again just 45 seconds later. Forward Brad Marchand passed to forward Patrice Bergeron right in front of the goal. Raycroft reached out to intercept the pass, but failed, and Bergeron easily stuck the puck in the back of the net.Dallas pulled Raycroft, and Kari Lehtonen was placed in net. However, changing goaltenders was not sufficient to make up for the Stars' shoddy defense. Dallas let the Bruins take numerous shots and failed to clear rebounds in front of the net.Two and a half minutes after the change, defenseman Andrew Ference of the Bruins and forward Adam Burish got into yet another scrum. Burish fell to the ice before the fight was broken up, and the seventh and eighth fighting majors of the game were handed out.After the game, Ference said that it was simply a matter of two teams that never back away from a fight."Their guys like to mix it up," he said. "We knew it was gonna be a physical game, and that doesn't just mean fighting. We have two teams that don't mind getting their noses dirty. Playing with that emotion, it just happens. ... Guys were full of piss and vinegar."The Bruins scored twice more later in the period, with Bergeron netting his first, and Thornton scoring with 4 minutes left to put Boston up 4-0.With 16 minutes left in the second period, Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara earned a 10-minute misconduct penalty, earning boos and vulgar chants. As the obscene calls were cascading, the Bruins appeared to score only to have the goal called off for interference in the crease, earning the loudest boos of the night. Midway through the second period, on a Dallas breakaway, Bruins forward Daniel Paille hit Stars forward Raymond Sawada on the head at full speed. Paille was immediately ejected and subsequently suspended for the next four games.In the second and third periods Dallas scored 3 unanswered goals to close the deficit to 4-3 before Boston scored again with 15 minutes left in the game. Forward Tyler Seguin scored on a slapshot. Marchand scored the final goal for the Bruins with 3 minutes remaining.Two days later, the Bruins faced the Sharks and were unable to continue their momentum. Due to Sharks goalkeeper Antti Niemi's third shutout of the season and Boston's failure to execute on a power play for the fifth-straight match, the Sharks earned their seventh win in eight games. "San Jose won more battles than we did-that's where the game was decided and ultimately the biggest difference," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "This [play] is a result of players that just need to be better as we head down to the stretch."The first period was a defensive one, as the two teams battled it out, unable to score amid sterling goalkeeping by Niemi and Bruin goalie Tim Thomas. However, a Bruins penalty resulted in a Sharks power play at 14:23, and San Jose capitalized with a tip-in goal by center Logan Couture. Left wing Ryane Clowe and defenseman Marc Edouard-Vlasic came up with the assists. From there, the game once again became a defensive battle of wills. Even with two power plays and 8 shots on goal, the Bruins failed to capitalize and the deficit remained 1-0 at the end of the period.Defense and solid goalkeeping set the tone once again for the second period. Despite 16 shots on goal, 10 coming from the Bruins, neither team could take advantage. Both teams still struggled to gain offensive control of the match in the final period. Boston and San Jose combined for another 16 shots on goal but Thomas and Niemi still were impenetrable in the crease. The Bruins had their fourth power-play opportunity in the middle of the period but still could not utilize it to their advantage.Krejci was disappointed with the team's power plays. "There was good traffic, but we just couldn't execute when we needed to," he said.Boston failed to execute throughout the rest of the game, and in haste to tie the game in the final seconds ceded a goal with 3 seconds left. San Jose right wing Devin Setoguchi fired the puck down the rink into an empty net to extend the lead to 2-0 and seal the match. Clowe and Vlasic provided their second assists of the night. "We wish it could've been a better situation, but we just didn't have the same energy in the building," McQuaid said.The Bruins take on the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Canadiens are currently 2 points behind the Bruins in the Northeast Division.
(01/25/11 5:00am)
Traveling to Brown University to compete in the Northeastern Conference Meet against some of the premier teams on the East Coast, the men's and women's fencing teams fought to 2-3 and 5-1 records, respectively.The team faced many of its rival schools, including Boston College, Tufts University, Dartmouth College, Vassar College, Brown and Smith College on the women's side.The women's squad's 5-1 record earned it a tie for second place with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Northeast Conference, only trailing Vassar.The women dominated their first match, prevailing over Dartmouth 20-7 before sneaking by both Tufts and Smith with 19-18 wins. The team had close matches against both BC and Brown but were able to avenge the men's team, who lost to them both, with 14-13 victories against the two schools.The women dropped their last match, a 17-10 loss to Vassar."[The women's team] ran out of gas a bit and seemed to tire against a motivated Vassar squad," coach Bill Shipman said.Shipman added that both teams' struggles may have been due to the winter vacation. "After such a long break, our guys perhaps were not as competition-ready as we would like," he said.Overall, the women's team was happy with its results, especially considering the absence of foil fencer Alex Dalrymple '11 and limited return of Emily Levy '12 due to injury concerns. "We showed good composure and determination, especially in saber, where we are most experienced," Shipman said. "The épées also had a good balanced performance overall."Saber fencer Anna Hanley '11 performed brilliantly with a 15-1 record, as did Zoe Messinger '13 with a 9-3 mark. Épée fencers Leah Mack '14 and Emma Larkin '11 also turned in solid efforts with 10-6 and 9-5 records, respectively.Dueling against BC and Brown, the men's team kept both matches competitive but failed to close them out, losing both by margins of 15-12. The team also kept the match close against Vassar but fell in a 17-10 loss."Our men fenced close meets but could not close them out," Shipman said. "Foil started slow, only starting to come on later in the day, while épée did not display the consistency we needed, warranting more accuracy and patience." The team showed flashes of brilliance, cruising past Dartmouth with an 18-9 win and triumphing with a 15-12 win over a formidable Tufts team. Shipman added that the men's team must work on changing its approach based on oppnents' styles of play."[The men's team] needs better adjustment[s] to our opponents' tactics and weaknesses, especially in foil. . Épée needs to display more accuracy and patience," Shipman said. Captain Adam Austin '11 was the top Brandeis fencer in saber, notching a 7-1 mark. Rookie foil fencer Julian Cardillo '14 also had a strong performance, attaining a perfect 8-0 record in his matches. "Overall, the effort and enthusiasm was good, and I'm sure we'll continue to improve," Shipman said. The men's fencing team will next compete at the Eric Sollee Invitational at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sunday, Feb. 6, where it is scheduled to face New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, Hunter College, Duke University and Yeshiva University, among several other top schools. The women's fencing squad will host Wellesley College on Jan. 26 and will also attend the Sollee Invitational. Editor's note: Julian Cardillo '14 is a Sports staff writer for the Justice.
(01/18/11 5:00am)
The women's basketball team split its two University Athletic Association contests this weekend, suffering a 56-38 loss at Case Western University last Sunday, following the team's 65-62 victory at Carnegie Mellon University last Friday. The team now has a 9-5 record, including a 1-2 mark in conference play.Against Case, the Judges fell early and trailed throughout the game. Brandeis managed to remain within 4 points of the Spartans for the first 10 minutes of the first half, but quickly ceded control. Case's lead grew to 8 points just before the half, but the Judges closed the margin to 3 points, 22-19, by the end of the half. Brandeis maintained its momentum to start the second half and seized a 25-24 lead with 16:47 remaining. Yet the Spartans quickly took control and built a double-digit lead. The game quickly grew out of reach, and Brandeis eventually lost by an 18-point margin. The Judges were held to a season-low 38 points, and no one on the team was able to crack double digits in points.Guards Kelly Ethier '11 and Morgan Kendrew '12 supplied most of the offensive firepower. Ethier had a team-leading 8 points and three assists, and Kendrew notched 7 points and five rebounds. Kendrew struggled all day and shot just 2-16 from the field, including 1-7 from behind the arc. Forward Amber Strodthoff '11 accumulated 6 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Last Friday against Carnegie Mellon, the Judges struggled to keep pace with the Tartans in the first half and trailed by 12 with 6:03 left. Carnegie Mellon quickly built a 12-point lead and led by six, 32-26, at the half.Coach Carol Simon believed the team's difficulties in the first half could have been averted with better ball control."[We need to be] valuing the ball better and decreasing our turnovers," she said. "We need to be more disciplined and consistent with our philosophies on the offensive and defensive ends."However, Brandeis came out strong in the second half and immediately chipped away at the lead. The Judges tied the score at 34-34 in the first 3 minutes of the second half. After a few back-and-forth possessions that brought the score to a 42-42 stalemate, Brandeis took control. After Carnegie Mellon cut the Judges' lead to 50-49 with seven minutes remaining, Brandeis launched a 9-0 run to stretch their lead to 59-49 and put the game out of reach. Carnegie Mellon battled back at the end, but Brandeis held on for a 65-62 win. Kendrew led all players with 20 points and four assists despite logging only 4 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Kendrew also hit 11 of 15 free throws, including six of eight down the stretch. Strodthoff notched a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Mia Depalo '11 turned in a solid effort with 13 points, five rebounds and five steals. Simon was impressed overall with the Judges' play. "We are a young team but a team that works very hard in practice, working to get better each day," she said. "When we are disciplined, we can be a very good defensive team."The Judges continue play next weekend with two key UAA matches at home.The team will host the University of Chicago on Friday, Jan. 21 and play Washington University in St. Louis on Sunday, Jan. 23.
(12/07/10 5:00am)
Last Wednesday, guard Tyrone Hughes '12 hit the game-winning layup in overtime to propel the 19th-ranked Judges to a 67-65 win over Clark University. The play occurred with 5.9 seconds left on the clock and with the game on the line. Clark junior forward Jonathan Phillips' second free-throw attempt careened off the rim and landed in the hands of forward Christian Yemga '11. Yemga fed the ball to Hughes, and with the game in his hands, Hughes did not disappoint. He dribbled the length of the court down the right side and hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer. The 250 people in attendance at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center were ecstatic, and Hughes' teammates stormed the court as the final buzzer sounded. Describing the moment, Hughes said that it actually came as a surprise to him. "The last play was designed so the ball would land to Vytas [Kriskus] '12 or Derrick [Retos] '14 on the curl," Hughes said. "[Me] keeping the ball was the last option. However, they both weren't open, so I saw my defender, ran down the court, and the play unfolded perfectly from there."Overall, Hughes had an impressive showing against Clark with 8 points, four rebounds and five assists. On the season, he is fourth on the squad with 7 points per game and holds a team-leading average of 6.4 assists per contest. The men's team has gotten off to a hot start and is now 8-0 on the season. However, Hughes says that the team still has room to improve."We need to keep our composure and stop teams when we have the chance; we must execute our offense."However, Hughes is extremely upbeat about the team's prospects for the rest of the season."[Kriskus] definitely opens up the offense," he said. "We have everything we need to be successful. At this point, it's not about talent but about keeping up our hard work and dedication.
(11/23/10 5:00am)
The men's and women's fencing teams traveled to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last weekend to compete in their first official matches of the season, and both teams performed well. The men's team earned a 4-1 record while the women's team left with a winning record of 5-1. The men's team first dueled against the University of New Hampshire, winning by a margin of 20-7. Brandeis then faced its two toughest opponents of the tournament, Division III MIT and Division I Sacred Heart University. The Judges fought well in both matches and defeated host MIT by a score of 18-9. However, despite a well-played match against SHU, Brandeis ended up losing by a score of 11-10.Adam Austin '11 led the team all tournament, and nearly brought the team back against SHU. Austin, the saber-wielding captain, was 3-0 against Sacred Heart and posted a perfect 9-0 record throughout the day.The team cruised through the rest of the tournament, topping the University of Massachusetts Amherst by a score of 20-7 and rounding out the action with an 18-9 win over Boston University. Seth Dworman '14 said that the team was very happy with the results."Going 4-1 was absolutely huge for our team and it's a great way to start the season," he said. "This was due in large part to our team spirit-everyone was extremely supportive of each other, and that sense of chemistry definitely was a factor in our win." Coach William Shipman agreed that it was a great tournament for the men's team. "Our men had a good overall day, with a good win over MIT after a disappointing loss last year," he said. "All of our foil guys showed progress, winning 7-2 and our more experienced saber and epee squads were solid as well."Shipman also was impressed with many of the rookie fencers on the men's team."First-years Julian Cardillo and Mark Borreliz, who showed flashes of excellence, as well as all our new fencers, looked really good," he said.The women turned out a dominating performance as well. Following largely the same schedule as the men, the women handily defeated UNH by a score of 22-5.However, the women were unable to sneak past MIT, as they lost a well-played match by a score of 15-12. After that, the women had no problem with the rest of the field, defeating SHU 20-7 and Wellesley College 14-13. Their final two matches resulted in 19-8 triumphs over both UMass Amherst and BU.Vikki Nunley '13 led the women's team with 12 victories in her 15 bouts in the foil division. Alex Turner '11 notched an 11-7 record despite using a foil weapon instead of her usual saber. Shipman said that he was pleased with the women's results, especially in light of the recent roster shake ups."[I] was very encouraged by the progress of women's fencing, given our number of new fencers and amount of injuries and absences we have had lately," he said.Despite their great outing on Saturday, Dworman said that the team still has room for improvement. "Point control and staying relaxed in light of intimidating matchups are crucial if we want to attain total success." Shipman also acknowledged that both teams have some things to work on."[We need to work on] making fewer mistakes, showing better tactics (especially épée) and ... performing better overall as a team," he said.For their next competition, the Judges will host the Brandeis Invitational on Sunday, Dec. 5, their last action of 2010.Editor's note: Julian Cardillo '14 is a Sports staff writer for the Justice.
