Late NYU scores spoil women's soccer regular-season finale, 2-1

Sasha Sunday '19 (photo by Norman Cohen P'20)
Sasha Sunday '19 (photo by Norman Cohen P'20)

BRONX, N.Y. – The Brandeis University women's soccer team controlled play for much of the game, but host NYU hung in and ended up scoring goals on two of their three shots to upset the Judges, 2-1, in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Judges – ranked #13 in Division III by the United Soccer Coaches and #22 by D3Soccer.com – wind up the regular season with a 12-4 record, 4-3 in the University Athletic Association, good for a tie for fourth place. The Violets are 10-5-3, 5-1-1 in the UAA, to finish second overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The Judges broke the ice in the 61st minute when senior Sasha Sunday (Bethlehem, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) beat a defender and shot into the far corner of the goal. The score was her fourth of the season and the 17th of her career.
  • Brandeis took the first six shots of the game before NYU got their first in the 79th minute.
  • The Violets netted an equalizer in the 81st minute on their second shot when Nalani Ogawa's free kick sailed over everyone's head into the far upper corner of the net. It was her first goal of the season.
  • With time winding down in regulation, NYU's Megan Marhan made a save on the Judges' Lauren Mastandrea (Hauppage, N.Y. / Hauppage) with less than 90 seconds on the clock.
  • The Violets went the other way and earned a corner kick. With just 29 seconds left before overtime, the hosts' Ashlyn Krygowski punched home her fifth goal of the season to clinch the dramatic victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • The Judges outshot NYU, 8-3, including 4-0 in the first half. All of the Violets' three shots came in the final 12 minutes of regulation.
  • Marhan made four saves to keep her side in the game. Brandeis junior Sierra Dana (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) did not make a save and suffered the loss.
  • It marked only the third time this season that Dana – or the Judges – allowed more than one goal in a game.
  • Two of Brandeis's four losses this season came in the last minute of regulation, as top-ranked Washington University also defeated the Judges in heartbreaking fashion last week.

UP NEXT

  • Brandeis, who was ranked fourth in the most recent NCAA New England Regional poll, will find out if they were able to extend their streak of NCAA Division III tournament appearances to five in a row at 1:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon.