The men’s soccer team will enter the 2015 to 2016 campaign on the heels of one of its most successful seasons ever. 

Armed with the nation’s third-best defense—one that surrendered only nine goals in 2,130 minutes played—the Judges earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and advanced past regional powerhouse Amherst University before falling to the State University of New York at Oneonta in the Elite Eight. 

The squad—which begins the year at No. 7 in the first National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll—graduated three key players in May: forward Tyler Savonen ’15, the University Athletic Association  Player of the Year, midfielder Michael Soboff ’15 and goalkeeper Joe Graffy ’15. 

Without those key pieces, the squad will turn to midfielders Josh Ocel ’17 and Jake Picard ’16 to lead an offense that led the UAA in shots, assists and goals. 

The squad will also rely heavily on a defensive back four led by D3Soccer.com’s defender of the year Conor Lanahan ’16 to anchor what should be another top defense. 

The squad also returns key players in Robbie Lynch ’16 and Kyle Robinson ’17 to help the defensive corps. 

The Judges will once again posses one of the fastest teams in the UAA along the wings with the return of midfielders Evan Jastremski ’17, Zach Vieira ’17 and forward Chris Bradley ’16.

The team should also see increased roles of second-year midfielders Brandon Miskin ’18, Christian Hernandez ’18 and Patrick Flahive ’18. 

One year removed from a 19-3-1 record, the team will face a gauntlet in the first month of the schedule, with contests against three top-25 sides before UAA games begin in early October. 

Brandeis will travel to Trinity University in Texas on Sept. 5 to take on the No. 6 Tigers. The Tigers scored 85 goals in 26 games last year, ranking third in DIII in scoring offense and 25th in defense. 

Following the Trinity contest the team will be faced with three games in five days, including a Sept. 12 rivalry game with Babson College. 

The Judges will face their biggest test of the season on Sept. 26 when they travel to the defending national champion, the Tufts University Jumbos. 

The Jumbos, ranked No. 1 in DIII, fell to the Judges in last year’s meeting on Gordon Field but will have the advantage by playing at home this year. 

The squad will also face the No. 22 Wheaton College Lyons on Sept. 29 as a final tune-up before UAA play begins the following weekend. 

Brandeis will benefit from four consecutive home games during the stretch of UAA games, including two out-of-conference games—welcoming Massachusetts Maritime College, the University of Chicago, the Washington University in St. Louis and Lassell College to Gordon Field. 

Brandeis completed last season with a perfect 10-0 record on Gordon Field, including wins over Wheaton, Tufts and Emory University during the campaign. 

The Judges will go on the road to the No. 23 Emory Eagles on Nov. 1 and will have the opportunity to avenge losses to Rochester University and the University of Chicago during UAA play. 

The Judges will square off with the No. 18 University of Chicago on Oct. 16 and see October out with a game at the No. 20 Rochester Yellowjackets on Oct. 30.

Schedule aside, the biggest question mark entering the season for the Judges will be who starts in net behind the defense. 

Graffy started all 23 games last season and recorded a 19-3-1 record, including 15 shutouts of the opposition. 

He logged nearly 2,100 of the 2,130 minutes last year, with the final half hour seen out by goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse ’18. 

Woodhouse played the final 15 minutes of a 4-0 victory over Clark University and the last 20 of a 3-0 win over Massachusetts Maritime a month later, recording two saves in the process. 

The Judges should look for another successful season returning the core of a squad that made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last year.

With some questions surrounding how to replace graduates and a schedule that does not afford stretches of easy games, the squad will have the chance to prove themselves as one of the top teams in the country from the moment the season begins.

The men will open their season at home versus Bridgewater State University on Sept. 1, with kickoff scheduled at 7 p.m