The men's soccer team completed an impressive weekend on Gordon Field against tough University Athletic Association opponents, gutting out a 0-0 tie versus Washington University in St. Louis on Friday afternoon and defeating the University of Chicago 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. The Judges move to 13-4-1 with the weekend results and improve to 2-3-1 in UAA play.

On Sunday, Brandeis used strong performances throughout their lineup to cruise to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Maroons.

"It was unfinished business after Friday and we said we weren't losing today," forward Tyler Savonen '15 said after Sunday's win. "It's shown because everyone played their hearts out."

In the 22nd minute, Tudor Livadaru '14 converted a free kick from right outside the box to stake the Judges to a 1-0 lead. Livadaru sent a left-footed shot with the outside of his foot around a wall of Chicago defenders, off the post, and past Chicago sophomore goalkeeper Brett Wiesen.

The Judges doubled their lead in the 32nd minute with a solo effort from Savonen, who raced past three Chicago defenders and found himself in a one on one with Wiesen.

Savonen ripped a shot that Wiesen was able to stop, but Savonen then controlled the rebound and put the ball into an open net for a 2-0 Judges lead.

While the Maroons were able to outshoot the Judges 7-5 in the second half-part of an 11-9 shot advantage on the day-they were not able to mount sustained pressure on the Judges at any point over the course of the game.

"Especially in the second half, we had to match their intensity," Savonen said. "They came out strong, but we came out even stronger and that was the key to our win."

Brandeis put the game away in the 57th minute following Savonen's second goal of the day. Forward Michael Soboff '15 sent a corner kick into the box where it found midfielder Jake Picard '16. Picard flicked the ball off his back heel to Savonen, who stood alone in front of Wiesen. Savonen finished off the effort with a one-timer for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Savonen credited his teammates for setting him up with a prime opportunity for a goal. "Soboff played a great ball and Jake just played it perfectly," he explained. "My eyes lit up as it just appeared in front of the goal."

Head coach Michael Coven stated he was impressed with the victory, pointing to a strong defense that anchored the Judges.

"I think that was our best game of the year," he said. "I think defensively, we played team defense, we shut them down. We limited the number of opportunities that they had, and when we had opportunities we finished up."

Although the team failed to produce a win in Friday's match versus WashU, the Judges had multiple chances to secure the victory. Soboff took a corner kick in the 81st minute that center back Conor Lanahan '16 headed just wide of the goal. The Judges again had an opportunity to steal a victory with 70 seconds remaining in the game as Livadaru sent a cross to Savonen. Savonen was unable to corral the pass because of heavy pressure from the WashU defense and the pass then sailed wide of the net.

WashU had their own opportunities to walk away with the victory, and Brandeis was also fortunate not to lose the contest. The Judges were heavily reliant on their impeccable defense to preserve the scoreless tie.

Neither team had a better opportunity to break the deadlock than the Bears' chance just moments before the 74th minute. A through ball sent Bears senior forward Jeremy Kirkwood on net, who then dribbled the ball around goalkeeper Joe Graffy '15 to find himself alone in front of a wide-open net.

However, just as Kirkwood prepared to shoot into the open goal, Lanahan chased him down from behind and made a tackle to divert the ball away from the goal and keep the Bears off the scoreboard.

Coven said he was again proud of Lanahan's game-saving effort against WashU and his strong play in Sunday's victory over Chicago.

"[Lanahan's play was] unbelievable. I think player of the match against WashU was Conor," he said. "He gives us something we haven't had in years-a legitimate target on set pieces. He gives us a different dimension."

Brandeis finishes the regular season at home on Saturday versus New York University, a win that would figure prominently in a berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament.