WORCESTER, Mass. (information taken from a WPI press release) – For the third time in four matches this season, the Brandeis University men's soccer team played a scoreless regulation game, but for the first time, they were on the wrong side of an overtime golden goal, as the Judges dropped a 1-0 decision to WPI in Worcester. With the loss, the Judges fall to 1-2-1 on the season, while the Engineers improve to 2-0.
The Engineers' converted the winning goal in the 99th minute. The winning goal was set up when left back Codey Battista made a long run down the left wing and crossed the ball towards the middle. It was cleared away temporarily by a Brandeis defender but ended up on the foot of WPI's Walter Rodriguez, who dribbled and then laid it off to Franco Bazzini, who went towards goal and sent a laser into the left corner from about 20 yards out for his second mark of the season.
The first half was well-played with WPI enjoying a 7-4 edge in shots, including all four on frame, and each team attempting a pair of corner kicks. The Judges' best bid came on a header by senior Michael Burch (Glastonbury, Conn./Suffield Acad.) that went wide in the 31st minute while WPI had a good chance just more than four minutes later but Bazzini's shot sailed high.
In the 61st minute, Brandeis' Gabriel Haithcock (Macon, Ga./IMG Academy) received a thru ball and got in on WPI goalkeeper Ryan Martin only to be denied by the sophomore netminder. Ten minutes later WPI's Ryan Dalton collected a deflected ball, took a dribble in, and blasted a shot that was saved by Judge goalkeeper Aiden Guthro (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport). The stop was one of a career-high seven on the night for Guthro.
Brandeis returns to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when they wrap up a four-game road trip at long-time rival Babson in the 67th meeting between the two teams.