The seventh-ranked Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team scored twice in the second half to defeat Brandeis University 2-0 at Gordon Field in Waltham, Massachusetts, on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Spartans improved to 11-1-3 overall and 3-1-2 in University Athletic Association contests. CWRU, currently second in the UAA, remained alive in the race for the conference championship, but the team needs conference leading WashU to lose or tie tomorrow to stay in contention. The Judges fell to 6-7-3 overall and 0-6-0 in the UAA.

After a scoreless first half, sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Mueller broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute of play. She received a pass from junior midfielder Sydney Schenk at the top of the box and fired the ball into the upper right corner of the goal to put the Spartans ahead 1-0. It was her third goal of the season and the sixth of her career. Schenk picked up her first assist of the campaign with the pass.

Less than three minutes later, sophomore forward Andrea Silva doubled the team's lead with her second goal of the season. Mueller found Silva on a run in the middle of the pitch. She evaded the Brandeis defenders and bested the Judges' goalkeeper in a one-on-one opportunity in front of the net, shooting the ball low and toward the right corner. Mueller earned her first assist of the season on the play.

Senior goalkeeper Maggie Storti secured her seventh shutout of the season in front of the net for the Spartans, saving one shot in the 90 minutes of play.

Case Western Reserve had a 15-7 advantage in shots in the contest and a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. Sophomore midfielder/forward Ceci Dapino and sophomore forward Alexis Sassower each contributed a team-high three shots and two on target.

The Spartans will end the regular season next Saturday, traveling to Pittsburgh to face archrival and nationally third-ranked Carnegie Mellon at 12 p.m.