WALTHAM, Mass. — Six different players recorded points today as the 10th-ranked Brandeis University women's soccer team blanked visiting Bates College, 3-0, on Gordon Field today. With the win, the Judges improve to 5-0 with four shutouts. The Bobcats see their record even at 2-2.
The first 30 minutes of the contest were tightly contested, with the best chance coming for the visitors in the 17th minute. Rookie forward Jessica Vocaturo (Columbus, N.J./Phillips Andover) struck a shot from well outside the box that deflected off a Brandeis defender. The ball was lofted high in the air, and Brandeis junior netminder Michelle Savuto (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) knocked it just over the crossbar.
Brandeis finally broke the deadlock exactly 35 minutes into the contest. Sophomore midfielder Melissa Darling (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) sent a beautiful through ball to rookie reserve forward Cidney Moscovich (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs). Moscovich took one touch and chipped it over the head of Bates senior Anabel Schmeltz (Monmouth Beach, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) for her second goal of the season and what proved to be her first game-winner.
In the second half, Brandeis came out on fire, taking the first 10 shots in just over 11 minutes, scoring twice. Schmeltz made the first three saves was called upon her, including a nice punch over the net on a shot from the corner by Brandeis senior Mary Shimko (Bay Village, Ohio/Lake Ridge Acad.). The Judges' first insurance goal came in the 54th minute following the ensuing corner kick. With a tangle of bodies in front of the net, junior forward Sapir Edalati (Great Neck, N.Y./Great Neck South) touched home a shot by classmate Dara Spital (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) that was deflected by several defensive players. The goal was Edalati's team-leading sixth of the season, while the assist was Spital's fourth.
In the 57th minute, Shimko got her revenge on Schmeltz, when her high shot on a nice feed from junior back Emma Eddy (Hinesburg, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) deflected off the keeper's hands and in for the final goal of the game. It was Shimko's first goal of the season and the ninth of her career.
Bates was able to get some late pressure on the Judges, with Vocaturo getting stopped twice and junior Dakota Donovan (Marblehead, Mass./Dana Hall) hitting a crossbar, but the Bobcats were unable to solve Savuto. The Brandeis keeper finished with five saves for her fourth shutout of the campaign. Schmeltz was terrific in net for Bates, finishing with a career-high 12 saves, eight coming in the second half. The Judges doubled up the Bobcats in shots, 25-12.
Brandeis returns to action on Wednesday afternoon at Gordon College at 3:30 p.m. Bates plays host to Bowdoin in a NESCAC showdown at 4:30 the same afternoon.