WALTHAM, Mass.- The Brandeis women's soccer team bounced back from the weekend's defeat with a 1-0 shutout of visiting Smith College on Gordon Field. Junior forward Dara Spital (Miami, Fla./ Gulliver Prep) netted her team-leading ninth goal of the year in the 25th minute and the Judges held on from there to improve to 7-2. The Pioneers fell to 3-5-1 on the season.
In the first half, Brandeis dominated play, keeping the ball in Smith's defensive half for most of the period. At 24:30, the Judges broke through. Sophomore forward Holly Szafran (Newton, Mass./ Newton North) recovered the ball in the middle of the pitch and turned up-field. She played a through ball that found Spital streaking down the left side of the field. Spital outraced one defender to the ball, deked past another, and fired an inch-perfect shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner of the net. Brandeis maintained its pressure throughout the period, outshooting the Pioneers 11-1 and earning four corner kicks to none for the visitors.
The second half was more of the same as the Judges took 12 shots to two for Smith and won another four corners. Junior netminder Michelle Savuto (Ridgewood, N.J./ Ridgewood) kept her sixth clean sheet of the season as Brandeis held on for the 1-0 victory.
The Pioneers best opportunities came on Brandeis turnovers in the middle of the pitch but the Judges defense held tough. Smith's best look came in the 75th minute when senior captain defender Aidan Hitt (Arlington, Va./ Yorktown) blasted a shot from long-range that hooked to the right as it screamed towards the near post. Rookie goal keeper Alanna Lynch (Trumbull, Conn./ Trumbull) had an excellent match with seven saves but was pegged with the loss despite her strong performance.
The Judges continue their season with their University Athletic Association (UAA) opener on Saturday October 5th at Case Western Reserve with a 1:30 p.m. start. The Pioneers return home on the same date for a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup with the Coast Guard Academy at 1:30 p.m.