WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Brandeis University women's soccer team struck first, but visiting Emory answered with three goals in a nine-minute span the second half, including two by senior Whitney Briggs (Alpharetta, Ga.) to take a 3-1 decision in University Athletic Association action tonight. Emory improves to 13-3-1 overall, 4-1 in the UAA, while Brandeis slips to 9-7-1, 2-3 UAA.
The Judges opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Junior forward Melissa Gorenkoff (Woodbury, N.Y.) received the ball near midfield. She took a handful of dribbles and blasted a shot from about 35 yards out under the crossbar and over the outstretched arms of Eagle senior Sarah Wilkerson (Durham, N.C.). Brandeis nearly opened up a 2-0 lead just before halftime, as Gorenkoff dribbled to the end line, drew out the keeper and sent a cross in front of the net. Unfortunately, rookie Alanna Torre (Weston, Fla.) shot high with just 26 seconds left in the half, and Brandeis owned a one-goal lead at the break. The Judges outshot Emory, 8-6, and earned two corner kicks while not allowing any.
Emory got the equalizer off a corner kick in the 64th minute. Senior Grace Lam (Randolph, Mass.) got a head on a corner kick from junior Talia Dweck (Washington, D.C.) and put it past Brandeis rookie netminder Jaclyn Weinstein (Arcadia, Calif.), who was making her first collegiate start. Briggs tallied the game-winner just over 2:30 later, taking a feed from classmate Alexa Wahr (Minnetonka, Minn.). Briggs turned and shot for her fourth goal of the season. She added an insurance goal at the 72-minute mark when her left-footed shot from just outside the box beat Weinstein to the far side. Junior Olivia Lezanski (Parsippany, N.J.) got the helper. The Eagles outshot Brandeis, 15-8, in the second half, earning a 21-16 margin for the game.
Weinstein finished with seven saves in the losing effort for the Judges, while Wilkerson got the win with four stops.
Brandeis wraps up its regular-season home slate on Sunday at 11 a.m. against Carnegie Mellon University in another UAA contest.