WALTHAM, Mass. - On homecoming weekend, the Judges opened UAA play against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans in a very intense match. Two second-half goals would prove the difference at Gordon Field and propel the Judges to victory. With the win, Brandeis improves to 6-2-3 (1-0-0) on the season, while Carnegie Mellon falls to 4-5-1 (0-1-0).

The physicality and intensity of the match were evident immediately after the start and throughout the first half. Two cards would be handed out in the first half, one to Sophomore Jared Panson (West Windsor, N.J./Pennington School) in the 25th minute, and the other to Tartan Elliot Cohen in the 35th minute. Both teams would stay neck and neck, nearly even in shots with the Judges having a slight two-shot lead going into the half.

The halftime speech by Head Coach Gabe Margolis worked wonders, as the Judges quickly broke through after the break to score the only two goals of the match. The first goal came in the 47th minute off a Jake Warren cross that was bounced around and deflected before landing at the feet of First-Year Elias Norris (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) who calmly put it away for his first collegiate goal and points. Just a few minutes later, Senior Max Breiter (Lincoln, Mass./Lawrence Academy) would add his own goal to the tally, off a Noah Gans (Newton, Mass./Newton South) assist. The goal was Breiter's third on the season, and the assist was number two for Gans. 

The Judges defense led by Senior Goalkeeper Greg Irwin (Passaic, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) stayed strong all game. Irwin finished the game with four saves, to go along with good aerial work to corral corners and free kicks. The defense would also get in on the action as a goalline save by a defender off of a Carnegie Mellon set piece would preserve the clean sheet. 

Brandeis out-shot the Tartans 11-8, while also having the advantage in saves (5-4), and corner kicks (6-5). Overall, the Judges improve to 13-16-3 alltime against the Tartans in the 32nd meeting between the two schools.

The Judges look to continue their winning ways next Saturday in Ohio against Case Western Reserve in the first road UAA game of the season.