WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's soccer team scored a goal in each half thanks to a three-point performance from sophomore Max Horowitz (Swansea, Mass. / Northfield Mount Hermon), as the Judges defeated the visiting Bates College Bobcats, 2-0, on Gordon Field today. With the win, the Judges improve to 2-4-1 on the season, while Bates falls to 4-2 after making their first appearance outside the State of Maine.
Brandeis's first goal of the season in regulation came in the 18th minute. The Judges earned a corner kick and worked the ball around. Fellow sophomore Nick Dunstan-Maiese (Bel Air, Md. / C. Milton Wright) put the ball into the mix from the left corner of the 18-yard box and Horowitz got a head on it to redirect it on net. Bates goalie Luca Antolini made the initial save, but it fell right back to Horowitz's feet, and he tapped it into the back netting for his first collegiate goal.
Bates kept Brandeis went on the attack from there, controlling play for the latter stages of the first half and periods of the second. Antolini stopped Brandeis's Gabriel Haithcock (Macon, Ga. / IMG Academy) twice in the 65th, but it was Brandeis junior Aiden Guthro (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) who came up with the two biggest saves on a pair of Bobcat free kicks.
In the 75th minute, Guthro poked one from Owen Kelleher that came from about 30 yards away just over the crossbar. In the 78th minute, Guthro dove to his left at the near post to deny Kelleher on a kick from just outside the 18.
The Judges would finally add on an insurance goal in the 86th minute, when Horowitz sent a cross from the right flank through the box. Senior Jared Panson (West Windsor, N.J. / Pennington School) deposited it into the wide open net for his first goal of the season and the third of his career.
Guthro finished with seven saves, matching his career-high, as he registered his third career shutout. Antolini had seven saves in the losing effort. Bates outshot Brandeis, 17-15, for the game, on the strength of an 11-6 advantage in the second half. The Bobcats had eight corners to three for the Judges, while Brandeis was whistled for 14 fouls to 11 for the visitors.
The win evened the all-time series between the two schools at 11-11-2. It was their first meeting since 1987.
Brandeis returns to action on Wednesday, September 29, when they play host to Clark University at 7 p.m. Bates travels to Bowdoin Tuesday at 4 p.m. for a NESCAC match.