WALTHAM, Mass. - The Brandeis University women's soccer team dropped their second-straight game to a nationally-ranked opponent today, falling to No. 19 Tufts University, 1-0, on Gordon Field on a late goal by the Jumbos.
The game was tight in the first half between the Jumbos (6-1) and the Judges (6-4-1). Tufts started strong in the first seven minutes, getting off four shots on goal. Brandeis junior goalie Hillary Rosenzweig (Boca Raton, Fla.) was up to the challenge, making saves on all four.
The Judges rallied, getting the next six shots of the game, including three from junior forward Melissa Gorenkoff (Woodbury, N.Y.). Tufts junior netminder Kate Minehan (Hopkinton, N.H.) made a nice save in the 32nd minute to keep the game even. The shots in the first half ended up 6-5 in favor of the Judges.
In the second half, Tufts junior forward Cara Cadigan (Nahant, Mass.) got off two early good shots, including a blast that Rosenzweig tipped over the top of the net. Gorenkoff was able to get off two more shots on net in the 65th and 70th minute, but it was a Tufts shot in the 86th minute that was the decider.
After a scramble, rookie forward Jamie Love-Nichols (Cortez, Colo.) found junior forward Ali Maxwell (Exeter, N.H.) just outside the box. Maxwell sent the ball on net to the far side, where it slipped just under the outstretched hands of Rosenzweig into the upper-left corner of the net. It was Maxwell's third goal of the season. Brandeis earned a corner kick in the final two minutes, but were unable to put the ball on net, as the Jumbos were able to kill the rest of the clock.
Rosenzweig made a season-high 10 saves in the losing effort. Three of Brandeis's four losses this season have come at the hands of teams that were among the top 25 in the latest NSCAA national poll (#10 Rochester, #19 Tufts and #22 Springfield). Minnehan made three stops for the Jumbos, who recorded their sixth shutout of the season.
Brandeis is next in action on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in their home University Athletic Association (UAA) opener against Case Western Reserve University. Tufts has a NESCAC game at Middlebury College at 1 p.m. on Saturday.