September 4, 2012

Men's soccer cracks Top 25 at No. 23

WALTHAM, Mass. – For the first time in more than a decade, the Brandeis University men's soccer team has been ranked in the top 25 in the nation in Division III, checking in at No. 23 in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.

In head coach Mike Coven's 40^th year on the sidelines, the Judges got off to a flying start this weekend, defeating two opponents by a combined 7-0 score at the Xara Classic in Keene, N.H. Brandeis opened the season with a 3-0 win over Ithaca College thanks to a pair of goals by senior Lee Russo of Westford, Mass. They followed it up with a 4-0 win over host Keene State College thanks to a career-high five-point performance by senior Sam Ocel of North Attleboro, Mass., who scored two goals and had an assist. The Judges also played stellar defense, including senior goalkeeper Blake Minchoff of Fiskdale, Mass., who made seven saves in the two victories for his 13^th and 14^th career shutouts. Minchoff, who also turned in shutouts in Brandeis's final four games of the 2011 season, was among the NCAA Division III leaders in goals-against average (7^th, 0.51), shutouts per game (7^th, 0.62) and save percentage (20^th, .864) last season.

Brandeis is coming off a 15-5-1 season in which they defended their ECAC Division III New England crown. The Judges are scheduled to face three other teams in this week's top 25 later in the season. No. 10 Babson comes to Gordon Field on Sep. 19 at 7 p.m. Brandeis will open its University Athletic Association schedule on Sep. 29 at 7 p.m. at sixth-ranked University of Rochester, while the regular-season home finale is Oct. 28 against No. 13 Carnegie Mellon at 1:30 p.m.

Rank School Previous W-L-T

1 Trinity (Texas) 4 2-0-0

2 York (Pa.) NR 2-0-0

3 Loras 15 2-0-0

4 Ohio Northern 12 2-0-0

5 Amherst 6 0-0-0

6 University of Rochester NR 2-0-0

7 Wheaton (Ill.) NR 2-0-0

8 Franklin & Marshall NR 2-0-0

9 St. Lawrence 2 2-0-0

10 Babson 18 2-0-0

11 Muhlenberg NR 2-0-0

12 Salisbury NR 2-0-0

13 Carnegie Mellon NR 2-0-0

14 St. Olaf 16 1-0-0

15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps NR 1-0-0

16 Dominican (Ill.) 17 1-0-1

17 Messiah 3 1-0-1

t18 Stevens Institute of Technology 7 1-1-0

t18 Calvin 13 1-0-0

t18 DePauw NR 2-0-0

21 Wisconsin-Whitewater NR 2-0-0

22 William Paterson NR 2-0-0

23 Brandeis NR 2-0-0

24 Whitworth NR 1-0-1

24 Rutgers-Camden 4 1-0-1

Receiving votes: Montclair State, Ohio Wesleyan, Washington (Mo.), Wesleyan, Nazareth, Dickinson

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