It’s been two weeks since senior goalie Celeste Hornbach has allowed a ball to get past her as UR’s net minder. In 10 games this season, the two-year starter has allowed just four goals and never more than one in a match.
One of three seniors making up a seasoned UR defense, Hornbach and the women’s soccer team’s back line have held tough for the ‘Jackets, including this past week, where they posted a 5-0 shutout against University Athletic Association rival New York University on Saturday and a 2-0 win against Nazareth College on Tuesday night.
But the women’s defensive line isn’t the only one making waves. This past weekend, the men’s soccer team pulled out a 1-0 win over NYU to improve to 7-0-2 and stay on top of the UAA. With a similarly veteran-laden defense, UR’s stingy back line has allowed just four goals this season and currently holds the best goals against average (.56) in the UAA. This past week, senior defender Phil Proud was the most recent ‘Jacket to be acknowledged for the success of the back line, earning UAA Defender of the Week honors.
In both the women’s and men’s matchups against NYU, UR held large advantages in the shots department. The women, who improved to 7-1-2 this week, capitalized on this advantage, scoring twice in the first half and then adding three more insurance goals after the break. Junior midfielder Kirsten Ross helped get the ‘Jackets started offensively, assisting on the first goal a tap-in rebound by sophomore forward Ellen Coleman and scoring the third goal off a penalty kick.
Sophomore forward Jess Smith assisted in three goals, while junior forward Brittany Huber came off the bench to score two goals.
The men struggled more to finish offensively, despite holding a 15-5 shot advantage. UR’s lone goal came when senior forward J.J. Dennstedt registered his fifth goal of the season on a breakaway, heading a pass from senior defender Phil Proud past NYU’s goalie in the 25th minute. The ‘Jackets had chances to add an insurance such as in the 36th minute, when sophomore midfielder Max Eberhardt fired a shot that went off the crossbar and out of play but NYU goalie Matt Stieve, who finished with four saves, and the Violet defense didn’t break.
‘The major reason for the win on Saturday was that we barely let the ball out of their end,” senior goalie Michael Peacock said. ‘We should have won the game five or six nothing with all of the chances we created, but I am confident that our chances will start becoming goals very soon.”
UR’s defense was equally tough Peacock had four saves, and in the first half, the Yellowjacket back line held the Violets to a single shot.
Both the men and women’s teams continue with conference play this weekend, where they take on Brandeis University to kick off a four-game road trip.
The Brandeis men will also bring a 1-0 conference record and a 6-2-2 overall record to the table.UR looks to remain unbeaten against the Judges on Brandeis’s home turf Saturday night.
‘Obviously we all enjoy playing at home with our friends in the stands, but the mentality we bring to away games is the same as any home game,” Peacock said of the upcoming matchups. ‘It feels great beating an opponent on their own field and in front of their own fans.”
On the women’s side, the Yellowjackets’ game against Brandeis on Saturday will be another test for the Yellowjackets, who’s only loss of the season came after two overtimes of scoreless play to the fifth-ranked William Smith College. Brandeis lost their first UAA matchup this past weekend, but rebounded later that week with a win against Tufts University and boasts a 6-3-2 record.
Hilfinger is a member of the class of 2010.
