WALTHAM, Mass. – Four members of the Brandeis University women's soccer team have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-New England team. Junior back Michaela Friedman of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., is a first-team selection. Senior midfielders Mathilde Robinson and Alec Spivack, both of Miami, Fla., are second-team honorees, while senior forward Holly Szafran of Homewood, Ala., formerly of Newton, Mass., is on the third team.
Friedman is an All-Region honoree for the first time. She helped anchor a Judge defense that set a school record for fewest goals allowed (10) and lowest goals-against average (0.44). The Judges ranked 12th in all of NCAA Division III in GAA, while their 13 shutouts in 22 games ranked 34th in shutout percentage (59.1%). Friedman did not score any points this season, but she did deliver the penalty kick that helped the Judges advance the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament after a tie with Amherst College.
Robinson was a first-team All-New England selection as a junior. She was one of the top defensive midfielders in the region, showing a terrific ability to win 50/50 balls and win headers in the air. Robinson was also a two-time All-University Athletic Association (UAA) selection.
Spivack, who earned a fifth year of eligibility after missing much of her 2014 season to injury, was named All-New England by the NSCAA for the third time. She earned fourth-team honors as a back in 2013 and second-team honors as a midfielder in 2012. She finished the 2015 season with four goals and two assists for 10 points, fourth-most on the team and doubling her career offensive output (6G-8A-20P). Three of Spivack's four goals this season were game-winners, including two in UAA contests, one of which was an overtime goal that defeated a Washington University squad that is playing the Division III Tournament Semifinals this week.
Szafran earned All-Region honors for the first time. She led the team in scoring during the regular season with six goals and four assists for a career-high 16 points. She also had three game-winning goals for the Judges and turned in their highest-scoring performance of the season with two goals and an assist on Oct. 6 against Westfield State. Szafran finished her career with 17 goals and 17 assists, one of only seven players in school history to reach that total in both categories.
In head coach Denise Dallamora's 36th season on the sidelines, the Brandeis women's soccer team finished the regular season ranked No. 11 in Division III by the NSCAA with a 14-2-3 record. They earned a berth in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row and fourth time in six seasons. The Judges defeated Western Connecticut State University, 1-0, in the first round, then advanced past Amherst College in the second round, 3-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in double overtime. Brandeis was knocked off by third-ranked William Smith College, 1-0, in overtime in the Sweet 16, ending their season at 15-3-4.
Click here for the full NSCAA All-New England region team: http://www.nscaa.com/2015-nscaa-ncaa-division-iii-women-s-all-new-england-region
Friedman is a 2013 graduate of Comsewogue High School.
Robinson is a 2012 graduate of Miami Palmetto High School.
Spivack is a 2011 graduate of Miami Palmetto High School.
Szafran is a 2012 graduate of Newton North High School.
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