The past two years have ended with nearly identical losses in the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the men’s soccer team, with the Judges’ usually high-scoring offense being shut out by Williams College. The Judges should have no problem generating offense and shutting down the opposition this year even though the team graduated several key members of both the offense and defense. 

The Judges’ offense, whose 2.5 goals per game were second overall in the University Athletic Association, will once again be anchored by forward Tyler Savonen ’15, the team’s leading goal scorer last year. Savonen netted 12 goals in 22 games last year and was tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals. Forward Foti Andreo ’15 should get more opportunities along the wing, as he managed just one assist in 10 starts last year, but was a key substitute off the bench. Forward Evan Jastremski ’17 will look to improve his individual game after contributing five goals and three assists in an attacking winger role last year. Jastremski was one of only six Judges to play in all 22 games, alongside Savonen, defensemen Ben Applefield ’14 and Josh Hacunda ’16, and forwards Tudor Livadaru ’14 and Sam Ocel ’13, M.A. ’14.  

The loss of Applefield, who earned D3soccer.com All-American honors last year, will be a challenge to overcome. In addition to his defensive prowess among the back four, Applefield was a major contributor on offense as well. Applefield led the team with 10 assists and added a pair of goals, including the lone assist in the Judges’ 1-0 win over Roger Williams University in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Judges defense will be anchored this year by the pairing of Hacunda and defenseman Conor Lanahan ’16, who will try and keep shots away from goalkeeper Joe Graffy ’15. Graffy posted an impressive 13-5-1 record last year with a stellar 0.94 goals against average and posted three shutouts during the season.

In the midfield, the squad will see the return of forward Michael Soboff ’15, who was tied for the team lead with 10 assists and added six goals for the Judges. Four of Soboff’s six goals were game winners, including a second-minute goal against Johnson & Wales University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Judges will also look to midfielder Brandon Miskin ’18, one of eight first-years on the squad, to play a big part of the midfield. Miskin captained Needham High School to a state championship in 2012 before spending a year at Worcester Academy in a center midfield role. 

Though the squad failed to defend their share of the UAA championship last year, the team gained an at-large bid to the postseason. Their 16-5-1 record (3-3-1 in UAA play) earned the squad a fifth-place finish in the division and the 15th spot in the national rankings at the end of last year. The Judges began the year on a seven-game winning streak before dropping a 2-1 decision at Tufts University midway through September. 

The squad’s UAA schedule began with a win at Case Western Reserve University, but the team struggled through a midseason road trip with losses at Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University. 

The team will once again have a difficult conference schedule as the UAA put four of its eight teams in the season’s first top-25 rankings, including an early 17th place ranking for the Judges. The UAA also features Rochester University (13th), Carnegie Mellon (18th) and Washington University in St. Louis (24th). 

Behind a balanced offense and a strong defense, the Judges will once again look to contend for both the UAA division crown and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The squad has the depth to contend for both and should be able to put together another winning season.