Following a four-game run in which the men's soccer team scored 21 goals and surrendered none, the Judges got a reality check this weekend in their trip to the Midwest with a 3-0 loss at Washington University in St. Louis Friday and a 2-0 defeat at the University of Chicago Sunday.With both losses coming against conference foes, Brandeis fell to last place in the University Athletic Association with a 1-5 record. The Judges are 9-7-3 overall.

The Judges came out firing in their loss to the Maroons. They were fast to the ball and got solid looks at the goal.

"We dominated play," captain Scott Zackaroff '07 said. "We won the middle third of the

field [and] were creating a lot of chances with our speed."

35 minutes into the half, the Judges had their best opportunity to score when midfielder Kevin Murphy '09 received the ball past the defensive line and had an open shot

on goal. He shot the ball to the side of the net, but Chicago sophomore goalkeeper Micah Gruber barely got a hand on it, tipping it against the post and out of the box.

The Maroons picked up their play in the second half.

"They seemed more focused and more aggressive," forward Mike Snyder '07 said.

The Maroons scored the first goal of the game 14 minutes into the half, when defender Brett Fitzgerald '08 was whistled for a penalty in the box.

Upon trying to knock the ball away from Maroon junior forward Andrew Hamilton, Fitzgerald inadvertently took him down. Hamilton slipped the ensuing penalty kick past goalkeeper Taylor Bracken '10.

The Judges were completely stifled offensively, and the offense took another hit when Snyder, who has three game-winning goals this season, was issued a red card in the 77th minute.

He received the penalty after he attempted a slide tackle to steal the ball from an opponent, but missed the ball and collided with the player's legs, knocking him to the ground.

"I don't think it was really from behind, it was more from the side," Snyder said. "It was definitely a foul, but I was shocked I got a red card for it."

Snyder said he was surprised to get a red card when both teams were playing so physically.

"It was a pretty physical game," he said. "There were a lot of plays that were similar that he gave yellow cards to or just gave fouls to, so we were upset as to why he chose that play to make a statement with."

The penalty also means Snyder is ineligible to play in the next game against New York University, the Judges' last of the season, barring a possible postseason berth.

With the Judges down one man in the last minutes of the game, they pushed most of their players to offense. With two minutes remaining, Hamilton received the ball past the defense and slipped it by Bracken, sealing the game.

In their loss to Wash. U. Friday, the Bears controlled the midfield and dictated the pace of the game.

Coven partially blamed this on his own strategy. The Bears played with five midfielders, while the Judges stuck with four, leaving the Bears with a one-man advantage in the middle of the field.

"They outnumbered us," Coven said.

"We probably should have had five [midfielders] but I wanted to get some attack going. It was a bad decision on my part."

The Bears scored two first-half goals and added another in the second half.

With one game left in the season, against UAA-leading New York University next Saturday, Coven is hopeful that a victory will give the Judges a berth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament.

"I'd be very disappointed if we didn't make the ECAC tournament," Coven said

"We only have one loss in New England and I think we're in good shape.