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Men’s soccer split against UAA competition this weekend, losing to NYU 1-0 before bouncing back on Sunday against Brandeis University, winning 1–0 in the team’s final home game. The win on Senior Day left the Maroons 8-7-1 and 2-3-1 in league play.

On Friday night, the Maroons were unable to come through offensively. Third-year goalkeeper Chris Giusto made six saves and allowed only one goal, but received little assistance from an offense unable to convert any of their nine shots into a goal.

“The major problem was not finishing our chances. We had so many great chances on goal and we failed to put them away, so we put a lot of pressure on our defense,” said third-year Stanton Coville.

That pressure proved to be too much when NYU’s Paolo Luciano scored the game’s only goal in the 65th minute, marking the sixth time that the Maroons have lost a game 1–0.

“We have been really unlucky this year. This was another unfortunate case of that,” Coville added.

With the close loss on Friday, the Maroons were forced to refocus for Sunday’s game against Brandeis. The game, which fell on Senior Day, celebrated the final home game for the team’s fourth-years.

“The team came into the game with the mentality of playing hard and well for our seniors. Also, Brandeis is another UAA rival so we knew it was going to be an intense game,” Coville said.

The Maroons celebrated four seniors—Andy Dallos, Alex Clifford, Kenzo Manners, and Eric Floyd—at the game. Coville scored the winning goal in the 58th minute off an assist from third-year Alan Pikna. First-year goalkeeper Mason Harless made two saves in his first shutout.

“Our team has deserved more from this season, so it’s nice to at least put one away and give us a win,” explained Coville. The win on Sunday snapped the Maroons’ five-game losing streak and energized the team, who will close out the regular season on November 6th against UAA rival Wash U. The game is one of the more important and anticipated of the season.

The Maroons will have the chance to end Wash U’s winning streak and gain odds at the UAA championship and seeding for the national tournament. This situation is giving the Maroons an added incentive to win.

“We would love to personally dash those aspirations as much as we can,” said Coville. “They’re a big rival and a game we all relish having at the end of the season.”

In order to win this weekend, the Maroons will have to maintain their tough defense and finish stronger. Ending the season with a win will not only boost the Maroons’ standings in the UAA but also help their chances of being seeded into the national tournament.