The Justice

Right, forward Melissa Gorenkoff '10 escapes from a Colby-Sawyer defender in the Judges' win last Sunday. David Sheppard-Brick/the Justice

Three was the magic number for the women's soccer team last Sunday while the Judges captured their first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III New England championship.

The Judges won all three games in the tournament, defeating third-seeded Keene State College 2-0 in the finals. Goalie Hillary Rosenzweig '10 saved three shots to post her third straight shutout of the tournament, and forward Tzlil Castel '08, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, scored the only three goals of the weekend, notching two in the finals and one in last Saturday's semifinal victory over fifth-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brandeis also defeated Emerson College 3-0 in the quarterfinals last Wednesday.

"It feels awesome-awesome, awesome, awesome," Castel said. "I'm just so glad my senior year we did it and all the seniors are so happy; [this is the] best way to finish."

The Judges finished the season with a 13-6-1 record. This was their fifth straight ECAC berth, as they hadn't reached the championship game since 2004. Because they were the top seed this year, it was the closest they had come to reaching the NCAA Tournament during that five-year span.

"It was [our] year," coach Denise Dallamora said. "I think the whole team really jelled and we peaked at the right time."

In the final, Brandeis, facing Keene State for the first time all season, suffered three offsides calls during the first 16 minutes, denying them scoring opportunities.

"I really didn't know [what to expect]," Dallamora said. "I didn't have a clue. In fact, I would have prepared them a little bit for that offsides trap, which in the first half really buffaloed them a bit. But [we] did get used to it."

The Owls nearly spoiled Rosenzweig's bid for her seventh shutout of the season in the 30th minute. Owl rookie midfielder Katie Bradford's shot hit the top of the crossbar before Rosenzweig deflected it out of bounds.

"We got very lucky in the first half when [Bradford] hit the crossbar," Rosenzweig, whose voice was hoarse after the game, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. "I was just glad it did not go in."

Continued...

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