CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The sixth-ranked Brandeis University women's soccer team got goals from a pair of seniors, but the Judges couldn't hold off host MIT as they suffered a 3-2 defeat in the season opener for both teams.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brandeis opened the game quickly, as senior Samantha Schwartz (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) notched her 22^nd career goal in the eighth minute on a signature shot from the top of the 18 yard line.
• MIT answered with the next two goals Maya Nielan scored in the 23^rd minute with a rebound of a header by Hailey Nichols.
• The hosts went ahead in the 35th minute on a defensive error, as Montana Reilly deflected a long shot off a defender and in.
• Brandeis found an equalizer on their first shot of the second half in the 55^th minute when senior Haliana Burhans (Charlotte, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) buried a cross from junior Sasha Sunday (Bethlehem, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) for her eighth career goal.
• The Engineers scored the decisive goal in the 65^th minute when Nichols knocked in her own rebound of a blocked shot.
• MIT kept Brandeis at bay the rest of the way, with a Schwartz shot in the 81^st minute stopped by Engineer netminder Lily Mueller.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• MIT outshot Brandeis by a significant margin, 26-5, forcing a pair of Brandeis keepers to combine 10 saves.
• Sophomore Sierra Dana (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) made six stops in the final 55 minutes, but surrendered the game-winning goal to suffer the loss. It was her first collegiate action.
• Classmate Victoria Richardson (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) had four saves in the first 35 minutes, allowing two goals in her third collegiate appearances.
• Mueller had two stops in the winning effort for MIT.
• Brandeis had not allowed more than two goals in a game during the regular season since 2013.
• It was the Judges' first season-opening defeat since 2014.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will have a short road trip for their next contest, traveling to Lasell College on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
• MIT plays a Cambridge derby tomorrow at 7:00 when they play at Lesley University.