Women’s soccer schools physical opponents

Women’s soccer team kept their flawless UAA record over the weekend. The 13th-ranked Maroons (9-1-2, 3-0-1) defeated 21st-ranked Brandeis (10-2-0, 1-2-0) Friday. It was another scrappy, defensive battle at Stagg Field as Chicago shut out the Judges 1-0.

The only goal came off the foot of third-year Renee Neuner in the 21st minute. Third-year defender Elise Aiken and first-year forward Christine Farmer assisted the breakaway, enabling Neuner to score her tenth goal of the season. Despite scoring only one goal, the Maroons out shot Brandeis 18-10, with Neuner and Farmer creating a number of quality scoring opportunities. Only minutes before Neuner’s tally, Farmer sent a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Neuner, whose uncontested shot was barely stopped.

Sunday’s match against NYU (5-8-1, 1-3-0) was a reprise of the dominating offense that was so prevalent early in the season. Chicago’s three goals all came in the first half of the 3-0 victory. Farmer scored her sixth goal of the year eight minutes into the match. Neuner added her 11th goal of the season at 21:33, and third-year Melissa Arndt tallied her first at 31:48. On the third and final goal, second-year Sally Hall advanced the ball into the box, and Neuner first-touched to Arndt for the score.

“We played well,” Arndt said. “We knew that they were going to play [Brandeis’ defensive formation] a flat back four, which gives our offense the opportunity for more breakaways.”

Third-year keeper Andrea Przybysz was a solid wall in the goal yet again, maintaining Chicago’s sixth shutout win of the season. The Maroons defense made her job easy on Sunday, allowing only three NYU shots.

A 2-0 weekend was another step in the direction of Chicago’s ultimate goal this season: winning the UAA conference title. This week they have a break from UAA competition, facing Illinois Wesleyan (10-2-1) at home tomorrow. The Maroons look to exploit defensive weaknesses and improve communication on both ends of the field.

Encouraged by their successful weekend, the Maroons are most of all looking to maintain their momentum.

“This weekend was important because we finally played decisive again,” third-year defender Kay Saul said. “We had the attitude that we’re going to do it, we’re going to win, and everyone contributed.”

—Carlee Tressel

Cross country runs hot race despite weather

At the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday with 40-degree temperatures, the Maroons ran hard and performed well. The ninth-ranked men’s team, led by third-year Pat Hogan’s 26:03 on the eight-kilometer course, finished with a mere 36-second gap between its first and fifth runners. The men placed third overall out of 15 teams, behind North Central and 16th-ranked DePauw.

The 24th-ranked women’s team succeeded in running paired themselves, finishing sixth out of the 16-team field. Fourth-year All-American Jessica Winter and second-year Dilshanie Perera finished tenth and eleventh, both with times of 19:09.

The Maroons travel to Rochester October 30 for UAAs.

—Kim Song