The women’s soccer team defeated Brandeis University, 5-1, at Fauver Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4. In addition to marking the seventh consecutive win for the Yellowjackets, who are now 8-2-2, the game presented to the 151 fans on this crisp October afternoon of fall break that UR can confidently compete in a league as tough as the University Athletic Association.
Throughout the course of this UAA match-up, various ‘Jackets displayed the confidence that has directly correlated to the team’s unstoppable offense and powerful defense.
Offensively, sophomore forward Bridgette Varin scored four goals, tying the UAA record set previously by UR alumna Alison Collins in 2001 for number of goals in a single game.
‘I definitely didn’t know about the record, so it’s pretty cool [that I tied it],” Varin selflessly said after the game. ‘It’s awesome, but it was all [freshman forward] Ellen [Coleman].”
Coleman assisted Varin, who was named the UAA Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week even before her performance in Saturday’s contest, in three of her four goals.
Even so, Coleman gave the merit back to Varin. ‘[Bridgette’s] lying,” Coleman said. ‘She’s always all over the place in games, and she deserves it.”
Perhaps such generosity has contributed to the success of the team during both the season as a whole so far and the game versus Brandeis, who fell to 6-3-1 with the loss.
About 32 minutes into it, Coleman softly passed the ball to Varin, who skillfully dribbled past the Judges’ left defender. Varin’s low shot skipped across the goalkeeper’s box into the left corner of the net.
At the 50-minute mark, junior midfielder Mae Butler sent the ball soaring through the air to Varin, who strongly headed it into the right side of the goal.
Approximately 62 minutes into the game, the Judges’ freshman goalkeeper Jaclyn Weinstein deflected a hard shot by Coleman. Varin capitalized on the rebound by hitting the ball into the center of Brandeis’s empty net.
Only five minutes later, the dynamic duo struck again, widening UR’s lead to 4-0. Coleman sent a ‘good ball” over to Varin, who turned the play into a breakaway and hit the ball over the keeper’s head into the high left corner of the net.
The Judges, however, were not discouraged by UR’s constant communication, short passes and artful ball control. With only around 12 minutes left in the game, Brandeis’s junior forward Melissa Gorenkoff took advantage of an open shot from about 35 yards out, sending the ball out of the reach of the hands of sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Alderfer.
Shortly after, Yellowjacket sophomore midfielder Jessica Blum shot from just within the 18-yard line. The resulting goal was assisted by both freshman forward Jessica Smith also recently named UAA Offensive Player of the Week and sophomore midfielder Brittany Huber.
As if five goals were not sufficient, the team almost scored on various other occasions when there was commotion in front of the Brandeis net. With a tough save early in the contest, Weinstein robbed sophomore midfielder Kirsten Ross of a goal. Quick plays, such as the 1-2 and the overlap, set up potential goals for UR, as well. Five well-placed corner kicks outnumbered the Judges’ two but did not assist any goals for the Yellowjackets.
Whether or not these scoring opportunities ultimately led to goals, they allowed the ‘Jackets’ offense to outshoot the Judges, 13-4.
The team played well defensively, too. Junior defender Stephanie Diebold read multiple scoring attempts, intercepted key passes and stopped dangerous breakaways.
Senior defender Kelsey Turley stepped up to win numerous 50-50 balls, playing despite an injury, and sophomore goalkeeper Celeste Hornbach recorded a shutout in her 73 minutes on the field.
The victory confirmed the fact that the team has come together in a special way this season.
‘I love being on the team,” Coleman said after the win against Brandeis. ‘Every day I get to play soccer, and it’s a great group to be around. We need to stick together and not let being on the road keep us down. We haven’t lost since the first game of the season, so we just gotta keep it going.”
In their first of five consecutive road games, the Yellowjackets did keep it going, beating the SUNY Geneseo Blue Knights, 4-1, on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Coleman and Varin each banked a pair of goals for UR, upping their goal count to six and nine, respectively.
Merely three minutes and 51 seconds into the away game, Diebold provided Varin with a smooth pass. Varin received the ball ten yards within the keeper’s box and pushed the ball past sophomore goalkeeper Katie Clerkin. UR was off to a 1-0 start.
Then, around 15 minutes into the first half, Ross chipped the ball to Varin, who converted a short header into the team’s second goal.
Only about four minutes separated the goals of Varin and Coleman, which were strikingly (no pun intended) similar. At 18:48, Butler sent the ball skipping to Coleman, who headed it into the back of the goal.
At 67:15, Coleman unassistedly scored the ‘Jackets’ final goal of the contest, widening the lead to 4-0.
The Blue Knights’ only answer to the ‘Jackets’ ability to control the game was a goal scored by freshman midfielder Bre Glynn with less than five minutes remaining in the game.
The ‘Jackets lost a close match to UAA rival and host New York University, 2-1, on Saturday.
The Violets’ sophomore midfielder Filiz Kipcakli scored both goals for NYU the first came 14 minutes and 24 seconds into the game when senior forward Sarah Pillemer crossed the ball to Kipcakli, who tapped the ball inside the far post and into the corner of the net.
The second took place 46 seconds into double overtime. Kipcakli’s game-thriller hit the top right hand corner of the goal and was assisted by NYU sophomore forward Laura Palumbo.
For UR, Coleman scored with just 61 seconds remaining in regulation, when her initial shot, deflected by sophomore goalkeeper Alex Walters, set up a quick rebound on which she capitalized. Although her goal tied the game at 1-1, the Yellowjackets couldn’t sustain momentum in overtime, and they snapped their eight-game winning streak with the loss.
The ‘Jackets’ UAA record is currently 1-1, and their overall record is 8-2-2. They are now ranked 10th according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll. NYU moved to 9-3 with the win and into a tie for first place in the UAA.
The Yellowjackets’ next game is Friday at Carnegie Mellon University, where they hope to get back on the winning track.
Kravitz is a member of the class of 2012.
