RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The 20th-ranked Brandeis University women's soccer team converted a corner kick into a goal in each half today as the Judges defeated rival NYU, 2-1, at Gaelic Park in Riverdale, New York City, today.
With the win, the Judges finish their regular season with an 11-4-2 record, 4-3 in the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Violets fall to 8-7-1, 1-5-1 UAA. Brandeis will finish no worse than third in the UAA and could tie for second, pending the results of the weekend's remaining conference matches.
Brandeis opened the scoring in the 25th minute, when junior Caroline Swan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine Richland) sent her corner into the box. It bounced through a crowd at the far side of the six-yard box, where sophomore Sydney Lenhart (Tucson, Ariz. / Salpointe Catholic) was waiting to blast into the net past NYU goalkeeper Riley Felsher. The goal was Lenhart's fourth of the season, while the assist was Swan's fifth.
The Judges added a key insurance goal in the 50th minute. This time, the corner kick came from senior Lauren Mastandrea (Hauppage, N.Y./Hauppage), and it found the head of junior back Ruby Siegel (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township). Siegel one-timed it home for her first goal of the season and the second of her career. Mastandrea's assist was her first point of the campaign as well.
The extra goal was vital as NYU spoiled Brandeis's shutout bid in the 64th minute. The Violets' Gabrielle Funk played a through-ball for Dominque Bevaqua, who just stayed onside. Bevaqua found herself one-on-one with Brandeis rookie goalkeeper Hannah Bassan (Aventura, Fla./NSU University School), and Bevaqua put it under Bassan's dive to cut the home team's deficit in half. Brandeis kept NYU at bay the rest of the way, allowing just three shots, with Bassan's catch of high lofted ball from Funk in the 68th minute the only attempt on net. Bassan finished with the one save, while Felsher had five stops in the losing effort.
Brandeis's win was their fifth in a row to close out the regular season and sixth their last seven contests. Ranked second in the most recent Region II NCAA Division III rankings, the Judges will hope find themselves in the NCAA tournament when the selection show is announced on Monday, November 8 at 1 p.m.