Going into the women's soccer team's game against Clark University last Sunday, Judges midfielder Mimi Theodore '12 had two assists but no goals. By the end of the game, she was second on the team in goals scored.Theodore scored three goals for her first collegiate hat trick as the Judges defeated Clark University 5-1. While Theodore's performance marked her first hat trick since high school, her response to her third goal was more team-oriented.

"My first reaction [after getting the hat trick] was I was just glad, because there wasn't that much time left and I pretty much knew [that] we were going to win. So it was nice just knowing that we were going to get a win out of them," Theodore said.

The Judges' win puts them at 2-0-1 for the week after they defeated Bridgewater State College 6-0 last Tuesday and tied Roger Williams University 0-0 on the road last Thursday. The Judges' record now stands at 4-1-2 on the season, including a 4-0 record at home.

Brandeis took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute against Clark, when forward Tiffany Pacheco '11 dribbled the ball toward the net before passing it to Theodore, who chipped it over Cougar senior goalie Joanna Clark for her first goal of the game.

The Judges were only able to score that one goal in the first half despite outshooting the Cougars 12-4. In the second half, though, the Judges had four goals off 13 shots.

"We made better runs and better choices in the second half," coach Denise Dallamora said. "In the first [half], we were slotting balls wide, and we really should have been shooting from up top. . We'd get balls at the top of the box, and we were passing them when we should have been shooting [in the first half]."

At the 60-minute mark, Brandeis took a 2-0 lead off a goal from Pacheco, her team-high fourth of the season. Mimi Theodore's sister Ali Theodore '12 had the assist.

Clark, however, was able to pull within one in the 62nd minute. A hand-ball call against the Judges gave the Cougars a penalty kick, and Clark junior midfielder Laura Hedden was able to knock the ball past Brandeis goalie Hillary Rosenzweig '10 to make it a 2-1 game.

But the Judges were able to pull away in the last 10:31, scoring three goals in that span. The first of the three came from midfielder Alanna Torre '12, who used her 5 foot-10-inch frame to head the ball into the net off a corner kick from Pacheco.

"I've been working on [Torre] being more aggressive [with the ball] in the air, because she clearly has size," Dallamora said.

The last two goals both iced the contest for the Judges and gave Mimi Theodore the hat trick. Her second goal came in the 81st minute off a long pass from forward Melissa Gorenkoff '10 that Theodore hit into the right corner of the net. With just under four minutes left, Theodore hit a header off another assist from Gorenkoff to finish off the hat trick.

"[Theodore has improved] mostly her first touch decision making and vision," Dallamora said. "She's got better vision, so she makes better decisions and is making runs. She understands what she should be doing."

Last Thursday, the Judges were shut out by Roger Williams University but were able to hold the Hawks scoreless and preserve the scoreless tie.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score, with the Judges getting off 22 shots and the Hawks getting 20, but neither side was able to put the ball into the net.

This came after the Brandeis offense exploded for six goals against Bridgewater State College, including two from Pacheco and one from Gorenkoff.

The games were the second and third shutouts of the season for the Judges and gave Rosenzweig her 18th career shutout, tied for second on the team's all-time list.

The Judges will play next Thursday at Gordon College at 3:30 p.m.

After that, the team will host Wellesley College Sept. 30 in its final regional game before beginning University Athletic Association play at Case Western Reserve University Oct. 3.