The Judges battled their opponents in two grueling games over the weekend to secure an incredible Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament. 

Judges 1, McDaniel 0

The women’s soccer team won in a thrilling 1-0 matchup against McDaniel College on Saturday, helping them advance to a rare Elite Eight appearance.

The Judges were pit against McDaniel in their second consecutive Sweet 16 playoff berth. The team was coming off a tough 1-1 double-overtime win against The College of New Jersey.

The first half went without any scores, with both sides playing the ball well. The two teams combined for only five total shots in the first half, with no shots on goal for the McDaniel squad. 

 The low shot total was due in part to the stellar Brandeis defense and fantastic goalkeeping of goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17. 

The teams seemed evenly matched going into the second half until the Judges broke it open, tearing through the field for a whopping seven shots. The most important of those shots came as the clock was winding down and forward Samantha Schwartz ’18 barreled down the field for a rebound shot and goal to win it all for the Judges. The clutch goal came in the 86th minute, as midfielder Haliana Burhans’ ’18 shot deflected off the McDaniel goalie, off of Schwartz and into the back of the net.

With the win, the Judges advanced to play Hobart and William Smith Colleges, after Smith beat Amherst College in an astounding 4-2 win. Going into the game, Smith had an incredible total of 11 goals in their three tournament games. The team, a clear offensive power, demolished Worcester State University for a 5-0 thrashing in the first round. The Judges posted a more moderate five goals in three games.

Judges 4, William Smith 3

The Judges came into the game facing the No. 1 Division III team in the nation. The team went down early, allowing one goal in the first half and another midway through the second. Playing against one of the best offenses in the nation, the Judges had dug themselves a hole. Yet the Judges were undeterred, going on a three-goal tear in an unprecedented offensive performance. Less than a minute after the Herons scored their second goal, forward Lea McDaniel ’17 cruised down the field in classic fashion to bang in the first goal for the Judges. Nearly eight minutes later, forward Samantha Schwartz ’18 barrelled down midfield for an unassisted goal after having given the assist for McDaniel’s goal. With the game tied, the Judges seemed to have a chance to push it into overtime. However, the Judges had no plans for another period, as only 40 seconds after Schwartz’s goal, defender Julia McDermott ’17 shot down the line and huddled near the goal for a rebound shot and volley to give the Judges the clutch go ahead mark. 

With time winding down, the Judges seemed to relax, allowing the Herons to take full advantage and play a fast-paced game. With only three seconds left in regulation, the Herons were able to cross the ball into the box and knock a one-timer in for a game-tying goal. The crowd was shot, but the Judges did not give up faith.

After the goal, McDaniel explained the last-minute goal, “They were pushing really hard to attack in the last few minutes, and we were trying to contain them. They did an amazing job not giving up and pushing until the last seconds of the game. Unfortunately, they caused enough confusion for us that some players were left unmarked and were able to score. We had the momentum, though, going into overtime.”

The team certainly had the momentum and was able to attack the Heron defense and take them by surprise. Defender Michaela Friedman ’17 bombed the ball into the box where Schwartz was able to knock it into the post. Defender Jessica Morana ’17 was standing at the right place at the right time and threaded the ball into the back of the net for a game-winning goal in the 91st minute.

After the game, Friedman commented on their steel mentality, saying, “We honestly go into most of these games against top-ranked teams with the mentality that we have nothing to lose. Literally. They don't expect us to come out with so much energy, grit and desire, but we do. We like to catch them off guard.”

The Judges continue into the semifinal round of the tournament, facing off against Washington University in St. Louis on Dec. 2. With two huge wins behind them, the Judges hope to catch their opponent off guard yet again.