WELLESLEY-The men's soccer team fired off seven shots in the second half of its game against Babson College, but the Judges were unable to answer a goal scored in the first two minutes and finally lost their first game of the season 2-0 on Saturday. After winning their home opener against WPI 4-0 last Tuesday, Brandeis is 4-1.The Beavers, ranked No. 20 in the nation, repelled the Judges' pressure in the second half with some clutch defensive plays and three saves by sophomore goalie Chris Necklas and clinched the win with a last-minute goal by senior Jay DeRienzo.

It took only 77 seconds for Babson to score the only goal needed, when sophomore Gregg Robinson found a corner kick and one-timed it from right behind the box into the top right corner of the goal. The Judges' defense was unable to get a handle on the ball and left a clear lane for Robinson to wind up and rocket it into the net.

"That first goal was the turning point," forward Charles Goodhue '06 said. "We weren't woken up yet, and they just got one by us."

Babson kept the pressure up throughout the first half, notching six shots to the Judges' one and, keeping the ball in Brandeis territory for most of the half. Goalie Pat Makridakis '06 netted three saves to keep the score 1-0 at halftime.

Captain Shelton Stewart '06 said that he was pleased with the defense's performance.

"We played well," Stewart said. "We didn't come out fired up enough and we gave up that one goal in the first two minutes, but overall it was a good defensive game."

The Judges' offense responded in the second half by establishing steady pressure and finding more consistent shot opportunities, but the offense never found the back of the net. Goodhue had the best opportunities to score, first on a dribbler in front of the goal that he fired right into the goalie's hands, and then another on a weak pass to the right corner of the net that he booted directly into the diving goalie's chest. A Stewart indirect kick from outside the box with eight minutes left was the last good scoring opportunity the Judges had, but the cross-goal pass sailed just above the heads of the leaping Brandeis forwards and the lead was never threatened again.

"I think tensions were high at the end of the game," Goodhue said. "There's a lot of anxiety, you're trying to get the ball in the net. If we played in the beginning like we played in the second half, then we could have probably gotten the win."

Stewart agreed with Goodhue, saying that composure and confidence could have played a part in the young offense's execution.

"Obviously we played against a better team and players were a little nervous," Stewart said. "That's what happens when you play against a better team: Guys get butterflies and all that stuff."

Despite losing their first game of the season, coach Mike Coven said that the team would come away from Babson with confidence.

"They showed me a lot in the second half," Coven said. "They really played hard with a lot of fortitude and courage and I think we can build on that. We walked out of here with our heads up high, and we're going to be fine."

Coven also lamented the absence of his two injured captains; Yuval Ezer '06 , out with a hip injury, and Brian Bisceglia-Kane '07, out with a knee injury. Bisceglia-Kane provides a physical presence on the back line while Ezer is one of the team's most gifted scorers. Biscegilia-Kane will be reevaluated in two to three weeks and Ezer has an MRI scheduled for Thursday to determine whether he will need surgery.

"Absolutely, if those two guys played today, we would win by two goals," Coven said. "They're two of the top players in New England."

The Judges face another difficult test when they visit Wheaton College on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The traditionally strong Wheaton club is 2-2 and has won 16 of its last 17 home games. Brandeis also plays Colby-Sawyer University in New Hampshire on Monday at 4 p.m.

"[The Judges are] a good, good group," Coven said. "We're going to come back and win our fair share of games this year.