Courtesy of UR Athletics
The UR women’s soccer team won their game against Brandeis University on Saturday, Oct. 1 in Waltham, Mass., by a score of 2-0. This was an important win for the Yellowjackets, as it opens a long stretch of University Athletic Association competitions to come later this month.
Both teams played solid defense in the first half. Shots on goal were kept to a minimum during this period, with each team only having one in the first half.
In the second half, the Yellowjackets were able to unleash their offense. Senior Ellen Coleman started the charge with a shot on goal about two minutes into the second half, but it went just wide. In the 54th minute, junior Rachel Wesley crossed the ball to Coleman, who shot the ball towards the right corner of the goal. This time, she did not miss, giving UR a 1-0 lead.
Coleman played a role in the second goal as well, in minute 76, when she crossed the ball to senior Elizabeth Martens. Martens too found the back of the net, making the score 2-0.
With the assist, and in combination with the goal she scored earlier in the game, Coleman joined an elite class of UR soccer athletes, becoming just the second player in school history to record 100 points (a player receives two points every time she scores a goal and one point for an assist on a goal).
UR’s defense was formidable for the rest of the half, limiting Brandeis’ time of possession and refusing to let the Judges stage a late-game comeback.
Despite the loss, the Judges managed to outshoot UR for the game, 13-11. Yellowjackets’ junior goalie Bridget Lang was always ready, however, making three saves between the posts to earn the shutout.
Though the game was a match-up between elite teams, it was by no means short on rough play. The ’Jackets committed a considerably high 11 fouls in the game, while Brandies had just six.
With the win, the Yellowjackets improve to 6-2 overall, 1-0 in the UAA, while the Judges fall to 4-6, 0-1 in the UAA. The women now begin perhaps the most challenging portion of their regular season, as they open a four-game home stand that includes match-ups with three talented UAA rivals. The ’Jackets face New York University on Saturday, Oct. 8, as well as Carnegie Mellon University and nationally-ranked No. 4 Emory University later this month.
<i> Bates is a member of the class of 2014. <i/>
