WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University senior midfielder Daria Bakhtiari (Wilmington, Mass./Central Catholic School) scored a pair of second-half goal to lead the Judges past the visiting Lesley University Lynx in a non-conference contest tonight on Gordon Field. With the win, the Judges, who are ranked 22nd nationally in Division III in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, improve to 5-1-2 on the season. The Lynx fall to 6-3-1.
In a rainy first half, Brandeis outshot Lesley, 5-0, putting two shots on goal, but there was little offensive momentum. The Judges finally broke through in the 59th minute. Senior forward Juliette Carreiro (Upton, Mass./Nipmuc Regional) sent a ball toward the net on the attack, and it slid past the Lesley goalkeeper, where Bakhtiari was able to punch it home for her third goal of the season. It was Carreiro's team-leading fifth assist of the campaign.
After surrendering the game's first goal, Lesley found their offensive legs and penetrated into the Brandeis end. The Lynx broke through in the 66th minute on an own goal. Following a Brandeis turnover, Juliana Rossini's cross was deflected into the Judges' net by a defender, knotting the game at 1-1. It was the first own goal surrendered by the Judges this season after scoring three of their own.
Bakhtiari's heroics came with just under five minutes left in regulation. With Brandeis pressuring the Lynx in their 18-yard box after a corner kick, senior Lauren Mastandrea (Hauppauge, N.Y. / Hauppauge) ripped a shot at Lesley's Audrey Calhoun. Calhoun made the initial save off the crossbar, but it fell to a wide-open Bakhtiari, who touched it over the end line for her first career multi-goal game. Bakhtiari now has four goals on the season and 16 for her career. The assist was Mastandrea' first point of the season.
For the game, Brandeis outshot Lesley, 16-3. Calhoun made seven saves for the Lynx in the losing effort, while Brandeis rookie Hannah Bassan (Aventura, Fla./NVU University School) made one stop to earn the win.
The Judges are back in action on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in Pittsburgh for their first University Athletic Association contest against 17th-ranked Carnegie Mellon. Lesley plays host to Fitchburg State next Tuesday, October 5, at 8 p.m.