The women’s soccer team was unable to rise to lofty expectations this week at home, falling to the University of Rochester on Sunday morning 1-0 during Senior Day and drawing against Emory University 1-1 on Friday evening. The squad fell to a conference record of 2-3-1 and overall record of 13-3-2.

Rochester 1, Judges 0

University Athletic Association contests are always competitive, as seen by the No. 14 Judges’ loss against a below .500 Rochester team. The squad has struggled since the conference portion of the schedule began after beginning the season with the best start in University history.

The team was unable to put a point on the board in the contest, although it was not due to a lack of shots.  The squad attempted 19 total shots on the day — 10 more than their opposition. The large number of opportunities came in part from an impressive 12 corner kicks that the Judges were given, contrasted by Rochester, who only had three. The squad struggled to turn all those opportunities into points, an issue that has plagued them the last few games, illustrated by its ability to record only three total goals in the last five contests.

There were, however, a few bright spots for the Judges on a mostly bleak day. Forward Lea McDaniel ’17 led the team with four total shots as she continued to propel the Brandeis attack, as she has all season long. Midfielder Sasha Sunday ’19 also kept the game competitive by attempting three shots.

Goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17 prevented Rochester from extending their lead on the day after they scored the game’s only goal in the 29th minute on a header off of a corner kick. Grossman recorded a solid six saves on seven total shots on goal.

Judges 1, Emory 1

The first half of Friday evening’s game was rather uneventful. Each team was only able to record five shots, none of which were converted for goals. The scoring would come early in the second half.

The Judges jumped on the board first, adding a score in the 49th minute. Forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17 took a shot from the top of the box and placed it in the front post for her sixth goal of the campaign. Moscovitch was assisted on the score by midfielder Sam Volpe ’19.

The visitors responded 11 minutes later in the 60th minute. Freshman forward Caroline Kolski crossed the ball off the right corner to sophomore forward Grace Edgarton who slotted it in the far post to knot the game at 1-1.

The Judges would outperform Emory the rest of the way, outshooting the Eagles 10-5. They would also attempt nine corner kicks while their opposition only had one.

In the first overtime period, the team had three shots, while Emory was unable to record one. The second overtime period went in the opposite direction, as the Judges only had one shot attempt while the Eagles attempted four. Grossman recorded four saves on the evening, while her counterpart, sophomore goalkeeper Dani Staffin, had three saves of her own.

The Judges’ final game of the regular season will take place next Saturday morning on the road at New York University. However, the team is hoping that it will not be its last. The Judges ended their season in heartbreak fashion last year as they fell in overtime in the Sweet 16 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. They will look to get back to the postseason and improve upon last year’s result.  

The Judges have fell to fifth place in conference play, despite a spectacular overall record of 13-3-2. Their record of 2-3-1 does not bode well for the team as they vie for a playoff berth. 

Their previous conference record of 3-3-2 allowed them a spot in the first round of the playoffs while also posting a respectable 15-3-4 overall record. 

The women have struggled as of late and are trying to regain their midseason form. The Judges started out the year on a nine-win tear and fizzled out in the past few games. The team has amassed only one win in the past five games, with one of those coming as a tie.

The Judges sorely need a win against NYU, a team which stands in seventh place in the conference with only one win. NYU should not be underestimated, though, as they accrued 10 wins in their overall regular season campaign. The Judges will need to bring their top game against the Violets as they look to close out the season on a high note.