The Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team started University Athletic Association play with a 4-0 win over Brandeis University on Saturday afternoon at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

With the win, the Spartans improved to 5-2-2 overall and 1-0-0 in the UAA. The Judges fell to 4-3-2 on the season and 0-1-0 in conference play. Case Western Reserve's four goals are the most for the team in conference play since 2017 when the Spartans defeated New York University 5-1.

Senior midfielder Adrian Harkness opened the scoring in the 19th minute with his second goal of the season. He received a pass from senior midfielder Matt Vatne in the center of the box and fired a shot into the low corner of the goal to put CWRU ahead 1-0. Vatne earned his fourth assist of the season on the play.  

In the 26th minute, first-year midfielder Camden Larson doubled the Spartan lead with the first goal of his career. About 35 yards away from the goal, he received a pass from sophomore midfielder Lukas Dalakis. After dribbling around a defender, he laced a shot from that distance into the low right corner to beat the Brandeis goalkeeper. Dalakis was credited with his second assist of the season on the play.

CWRU headed into halftime with a 2-0 lead and did not score again until the 62nd minute when Vatne tallied his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Senior midfielder Sean Atwater knocked a ball into the six-yard box which Vatne found following a spin. He quickly shot the ball past a defender and the goalkeeper into the lower left corner of the net to make the score 3-0. It was Atwater's first of two assists in the match.

The team's final goal came in the 73rd minute from sophomore forward Brandon Kim. On a Spartan counterattack, Atwater, who was running down the near side of the field, found Kim in front of the net. The sophomore was able to collect the ball and shoot it into the back of the net for his first goal of the season. Atwater earned his team-leading fourth assist of the season.

CWRU controlled possession for most of the match, outshooting Brandeis 18-4. Senior goalkeeper Jackson Kallen recorded one save to earn the shutout, his second of the season.

The Spartans will next embark on a three-match road trip, first traveling to New York University on Saturday, October 8 for their second UAA matchup.