GORHAM, Maine --- Graduate transfer Bailey Cullen (Connellsvile, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic) registered a hat trick today as the Brandeis University women's soccer team twice overcame a deficit to defeat the host University of Southern Maine, 5-3, on Hannaford Field today.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 7-6-1.
• Southern Maine, 15-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Southern Maine opened the scoring in the seventh minute, when senior Catriona Gould broke free thanks to a ball over the top by Mia Sargent. The goal was Gould's 18^th of the season.
• The Huskies' lead lasted all of 12 seconds, as Brandeis took the ensuing kick-off into the offensive end. Cullen got free along the end line and crossed the ball to junior Sydney Lenhart (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic), who one-timed home the goal.
• Gould put the home team back on top in the 19^th minute, this time converting a through-ball from Gaby Panagakos.
• Brandeis equalized before the half on Cullen's first of the day. Senior Caroline Swan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine Richland) sent the ball into the USM box on a long free kick. A Husky defender got her head on the ball, but Cullen corralled it with an open angle on the goal, and she converted in the 36^th minute.
• Cullen took advantage of another Southern Maine miscue in the 51^st minute, when a failed clearance again put her one against the keeper, and she hammered it home to give the Judges the lead for good.
• Cullen completed the hat trick in the 64^th minute with a key insurance goal, taking a cross from senior Juliette Carreiro (Upton, Mass./Nipmuc Regional) to make it 4-2.
• The Huskies were not done fighting, as Ciera Berthiaume scored from distance in the 84^th minute, banging a high shot off the far right post.
• Brandeis junior Yasla Ngoma (North Plainfield, N.J. / Oak Knoll) put any idea of a late USM rally to bed with a goal with just under two minutes to play. It was her third of the campaign.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis outshot USM, 26-11.
• Judge first-year goalie Ella Thomson (Libertyville, Ill. / Vernon Hills) improved to 3-2 on the season with three saves.
• Southern Maine netminder Breanna Atwood had eight saves in the losing effort.
• USM had five corners to four for the Judges, while the Huskies were whistled for seven fouls to six for Brandeis.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Cullen's hat trick was Brandeis's first since October 2017, when Sasha Sunday '18 also had three goals and an assist against Westfield State.
• Cullen now has five goals on the season.
• Brandeis snapped Southern Maine's 12-match winning streak, while picking up their first win in five matches.
• Brandeis and USM had only met once before, in 2005, when the Judges advanced on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw in the ECAC New England tournament.

UP NEXT

• The Judges start a three-match UAA homestand next Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. against Washington University.
• USM ends their regular season next Saturday at Little East rival Western Connecticut State at 10 a.m.