WALTHAM, Mass. - With a three-goal second-half surge, visiting
WPI upended the Brandeis University men's soccer team, 3-2, in the
home opener for the Judges under the lights of Gordon Field.
Brandeis (0-3-1) dominated the first half, outshooting WPI,
14-4. Engineer junior goalkeeper Paul Moan (Watertown,
Mass./Watertown) stopped the first three Brandeis shots on goal
before the Judges broke through in the 40th minute.
Sophomore forward Luke Teece (Tucson,
Ariz./University) made a long run from midfield, beating one
defender. He slid the ball across the goal mouth, where classmate
Alexander Farr (Nahant, Mass./St. John's Prep)
knocked it home to give Brandeis a 1-0 lead at the break.
WPI (5-1) turned up the pressure in the second half, getting a
couple of early shots and a corner kick. The turning point in the
game came in the 54th minute. The Judges earned a
penalty kick following a trip in the box. Rookie Joe
Eisenbeis (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) went to Moan's right,
but hit the post. Moan recovered to save Matt
Peabody's (Brunswick, Maine/Brunwick) follow-up. Exactly
four minutes later, the Engineers got a PK of their own on a
similar call in the 58th minute, and senior back Tommy
Zajac (Merrimack, N.H./Bishop Guertin) beat Brandeis junior
Matt Lynch (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) to the left
side of the net to knot the game at 1-1.
Zajac also tallied WPI's second goal in the 75th
minute on a free kick after Brandeis was called for another trip
about 25 yards outside the box. Zajac sent the ball off the right
post and in to give the visitors the lead. WPI added a second goal
125 seconds later when junior forward Mike Ford (Whitman,
Mass./Whitman-Hanson Regional) took advantage of a Judge miscue
deep in their offensive zone. Ford walked in alone and beat Lynch
for the 3-1 advantage.
The Judges didn't go away, however. Rookie Lee
Russo (Westford, Mass./Westford Acad.) headed home a cross
from junior Kyle Gross (Medway, Mass./Medway) in
the 86th minute for his first collegiate goal. Brandeis
got one more look in the waning seconds of the game, but Peabody's
header was deflected wide and they were unable to get a good look
on the ensuing corner.
For the game, Moan finished with seven saves for WPI, while
Lynch had four stops for the Judges. Brandeis finished with a 22-11
shooting advantage, but the Engineers were much closer in the
second half, behind by only 8-7.
Brandeis is next in action a week from today when they host MIT
at 7 p.m., while WPI faces Coast Guard in their NEWMAC opener on
Saturday at noon.
BOX
SCORE
