ROCHESTER, N.Y. (from a UR press release) -- The Brandeis
University women's soccer team dropped its University Athletic
Association (UAA) opener tonight, 5-1, at the University of
Rochester. The host Yellowjackets, ranked No. 14 in the nation, got
a UAA-record four goals from sophomore Bridgette Varin
(Scottsville, N.Y.) to earn the win. With the win, Rochester
improves to 7-1-2 (1-0 UAA), while Brandeis falls to 6-3-1 (0-1
UAA).
In a tightly played first half, Rochester got on the board first
at 12:51. Rookie Ellen Coleman (Wauwatosa, Wis.) pushed the ball to
the right and Varin cranked a 15-yarder to the low left corner.
Brandeis nearly equalized 35 minutes into the half when sophomore
forward Tiffany Pacheco (Rehoboth, Mass.) whistled
a 20-yarder just over the crossbar. The shots were 4-2 in favor of
the Yellowjackets, and the Judges owned a 2-1 advantage in corner
kicks.
Varin took over offensively in the second half. She tallied the
game-winning goal at 49:58, as junior Mae Butler's (Cazenovia,
N.Y.) free kick from left wing was headed to the right corner by
Varin who made a nice diagonal run through the box. At 60:47,
Coleman broke through and fired for the left corner. Brandeis
junior netminder Hillary Rosenzweig (Boca Raton,
Fla.) parried it, but the ball fell to Varin who knocked it into
the net.
The UAA record-tying goal came on a breakaway at 66:03. Coleman
provided the pass to send Varin behind the defense.
Brandeis got its only goal from junior midfielder Melissa
Gorenkoff (Woodbury, N.Y.) at 77:53. She drove a 35-yard
blast from left wing to the top left corner of the goal, out of the
reach of UR sophomore Shannon Alderfer (Derry, N.H.). Sophomore
Jessica Blum (Williamsville, N.Y.) tallied the game's final goal at
the 79-minute mark.
The Judges' schedule doesn't get any easier, as they take on No. 9
Tufts University next on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.