Box Score WESTFIELD, Mass. (taken from a WSU press release) – The Brandeis University women's soccer team got goals from three different players today as the Judges defeated host Westfield State University, 2-0, on a cold and rainy Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Judges, ranked No. 15 in Division III by the United Soccer Coaches and No. 18 by D3Soccer.com, improve to 11-2 on the season, marking the fifth-straight season the Judges have reached that win total. The Owls fall to 6-5-2.
Brandeis got on the board quickly in the 4th minute when senior Julia Matson (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) would send a crisp cross to senior Sasha Sunday (Bethlehem, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) for the goal and an early 1-0 lead. The goal was Sunday's third of the season and the 16th of her career.
Moments later in the 12th minute, rookie Lauren Mastandrea (Hauppage, N.Y./Hauppage) would send a strike past the dive of Owls' goalkeeper Natalia Falcone (Sutton, Mass.) off of another feed from Matson to extend the Judges lead, 2-0. The goal was Mastandrea's first of her career, as she became the 15th different Brandeis player to score a goal this season.
Later in the half, the Owls would finally get on the board when freshman Madison Dufries (Leicester, Mass.) sent a beautiful chip pass over to Ashley Levya (Walpole, Mass.) who would one-time it into the back of the net to slim the Judges lead to 2-1.
But Brandeis would strike back with another goal in the 37th minute off the head of junior Katie Hayes (Eau Claire, Wisc./Regis) who headed home a nice cross from junior Emma Spector (Needham, Mass./Needham) to make it 3-1. The goal was Hayes's team-leading sixth of the season and the ninth of her career.
The Judges outshot the Owls 9-4 in the first half, while controlling much of the play and scoring chances.
In the second stanza, Brandeis picked up right where they left of, dominating play and outshooting the owls 9-0 in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
The two teams would trade chances after that, but nobody would find the back of the net, granting Brandeis the 3-1 victory.
The Judges outshot the Owls in the match 21-6. Falcone would finish with eight saves and Brianna Hawley (Lee, Mass.) would add two for the Owls. For the Judges, junior Sierra Dana (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) would finish with three saves in the first half and classmate Victoria Richardson (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) ended with one.
Brandeis will travel to Simmons College on Tuesday the 23rd in their final non-conference matchup beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Westfield State gets back to conference play on Saturday when they host MASCAC rival Fitchburg State in an 11:00 a.m. match as a part of Westfield State Homecoming Weekend.
