WALTHAM, Mass. - Junior forward Tiffany Pacheco (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Reg.) was involved in all three goals today as the host Brandeis University women's soccer team defeated visiting Nazareth College, 3-1. With the win, the Judges improved to 2-0 on the young campaign, while the Golden Flyers fall to 1-2.
Brandeis opened the scoring early in the fifth minute. Sophomore midfielder Mimi Theodore (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) assisted on Pacheco's first goal of the season. Theodore dribbled the ball along the end line and slotted it to Pacheco, who sent the ball across the goal mouth and under the diving Nazareth goalkeeper.
After the hosts controlled play for much of the opening stanza, the Golden Flyers turned up the pressure in the final 10 minutes. They tallied an equalizer in the 39th minute. The play started with a nice service from junior reserve midfielder Meghan Finn (Cortland, N.Y./Homer). The ball found junior forward Rachel Piemonte (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville East), who one-touched it to rookie midfielder Sarah Baluta (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool), who converted her first collegiate goal. The game went to the break knotted at 1-1 despite a 12-6 shooting advantage for the Judges thanks to four saves from Nazareth junior goalie Hillary Simon (Homer, N.Y./Homer).
Brandeis scored the eventual game-winner less than 90 seconds into the second half. The play started with a cross from the Judges' senior captain, forward Melissa Gorenkoff (Woodbury, N.Y./Syosset). Pacheco flicked it with her head to sophomore midfielder Ali Theodore (Walpole, Mass.), who knocked it home in the 47th minute.
Pacheco added a second assist in the 60th minute when she broke down a defender on the end line and crossed to the head of classmate Sofia Vallone (Westport, Conn./Staples). Vallone put it in the back of the net to become the first Brandeis player of 2009 to record her second goal. The Brandeis defense was stout the rest of the way, allowing just one shot to the Golden Flyers in the final 30 minutes.
Senior Hillary Rosenzweig (Boca Raton, Fla./Spanish River) made one save in the first half for the Judges, but sophomore Jaclyn Weinstein (Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia) earned the win in relief without a stop. Simon finished with five saves for Nazareth, while senior Polly Muehlenkamp (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming) played 22 minutes of relief.
Brandeis renews its most-played rivalry on Wednesday when they take on Babson for the 37th time at 4 p.m. in their first road game, while Nazareth plays its third-straight road contest at Brockport next Saturday at 1 p.m.