WALTHAM, Mass.- The 22nd-ranked Brandeis Women's Soccer team played to a 0-0 draw against UAA rival Case Western Reserve Spartans making this the seventh time a Brandies team has reached double-digit shutouts in a season. Despite 29 total shots from the Judges including eight shots from sophomore transfer forward Dara Spital (Miami, Fla./ Gulliver Prep), they could not find the net. Brandeis moves to 10-1-1 (1-0-1 UAA) on the season while the Spartans go to 7-2-3 (1-0-1 UAA) .
The first half was a close affair where neither team could gain an advantage. The Judges barely outshot Case, 8-7, but did manage to earn six corners to none for the Spartans. Still, there were no real scoring chances in the period with the Brandeis managing just one shot on goal and the Spartans mustering two. Senior goalie Francine Kofinas (Dix Hills, N.Y./ Half Hollow Hills West) kept another clean sheet by making both saves and the teams headed into halftime all tied up.
The second half was a much more lopsided contest with the Judges dominating nearly the entire period. They outshot Case, 14-2, while having eight shots go on goal to just two for the Spartans. There were a couple excellent scoring opportunities but bother keepers rose to the occasion. In the 58th minute, Brandeis' sophomore netminder Michelle Savuto (Ridgewood, N.J./ Ridgewood) faced an excellent curling shot that was headed towards the left upper ninety but an acrobatic move nudged that ball over the net. Just over a minute later, Spital had her best chance of the afternoon with a terrific shot that Case's rookie goalkeeper Megan Romelfanger (Fort Wayne, Ind./ Homestead) tipped up off the crossbar and back into her arms. Finally, in the 71st minute, rookie midfielder Holly Szafran (Newton, Mass./ Newton North) took a shot from right around the 18 that Romelfanger again managed to tip just over the goal and rob Brandeis of a lead.
The two overtime periods did not produce much with each squad taking seven shots and earning one corner apiece. In the end it was an excellent performance by all three goalies. Romelfanger finished the afternoon with nine saves while Kofinas had two and Savuto had four as the rivals played to a scoreless draw.
The Judges continue their season on Friday October 12th with a 4:00 p.m. UAA matchup at Chicago. The Spartans travel to Emory for another UAA contest on Friday October 12th at 5:00 p.m.