Box Score Recap courtesy of Brandeis University
WALTHAM – In a showdown of two unbeaten teams, the fifth-ranked Brandeis University men's soccer team scored twice in the final 12 minutes to defeat visiting Tufts University, 2-0, on Gordon Field tonight. The Judges win their seventh-straight contest to improve to 7-0, while Tufts sees their first blemish to fall to 5-1.
The visiting Jumbos had the run of play in the first half, outshooting Brandeis by a 7-0 margin. Tufts' last three shots were on goal, but Brandeis senior Joe Graffy made the saves. His best stop came in the 44th minute, when he dove to deny Tufts senior Gus Santos after a defensive give-away.
Brandeis finally got a shot off early in the second half in the 52nd minute, when sophomore Josh Ocel let rip from 20 yards out, but Jumbo sophomore Scott Greenwood tipped the ball over the crossbar.
Brandeis senior Michael Soboff had the game's next big attempt to break the deadlock in the 68th minute, when he hit the post on a cross, then shot just wide on the ensuing corner kick. Tufts sophomore Nathan Majumder nearly got the visitors on the board in the 72nd minute, when he got in behind the Brandeis defense, but missed wide going for the far right post.
The Judges finally broke through in the 79th minute. After earning a second corner kick in a matter of minutes, Ocel played the ball into the box. It was played by a defender, but made its way to Soboff. The senior dribbled to the end line, then passed it back through crowd. Classmate Robbie Lynch was waiting on the other end, burying it at the 78:12 mark for his first collegiate goal. The assist was Soboff's second of the season.
Tufts nearly got an equalizer of the restart, but Graffy knocked Jumbo junior Tal Smith's effort wide, and the visitors were unable to do anything with the ensuing corner kick. Brandeis's Tyler Savonen beat Greenwood to a long ball on the Judges' next trip down the field, but his shot improbably hit the post and rolled across the entire length of the goalmouth before getting swept away.
The hosts finally got some breathing room with 2:28 to go. Junior back Conor Lanahan played a beautiful long ball from his defensive end to sophomore Zach Vieira. Vieira was able to work past one defender and chip past a charging goalkeeper for the insurance goal. It was his fourth of the season and his fifth-straight game with a point.
For the game, Brandeis's Graffy finished with five saves for his 12th career shutout. Greenwood had one stop in the losing effort for Tufts. Tufts outshot Brandeis for the game, 12-8, but the Judges had the edge in the second half, 8-5. The win for Brandeis avenged their only non-conference loss in the regular season since 2011.
The fifth-ranked Judges return to action on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 pm. at Babson. Tufts returns home to face MIT at 4 pm the same day.
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