After Billy Murphy '10 scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the men's soccer team's final regular season game at University Athletic Association-leading New York University Saturday, his teammates stormed the field and mobbed the season-saving rookie. The outpouring of emotion was understandable: The 2-1 comeback victory meant the team's seniors had at least one more game in a Brandeis uniform. "That was the biggest goal I've ever scored," Murphy said. "It kept our season alive."

The Judges won the game in true underdog fashion, coming from behind to knock off the 20th ranked team in the nation and downgrading the Violets from first to third place in the conference. Brandeis ended the regular season 2-5 in the UAA and 10-7-3 overall. With the win, the Judges also moved out of the UAA cellar into a seventh-place conference finish.

The win also gave Brandeis the No. 4 seed in this week's ECAC Division III New England tournament. This is the first time since 2003, when the current seniors were just beginning their college careers, that Brandeis will compete in the postseason.

"I didn't want my season to end," captain Scott Zackaroff '07 said. "Now we can put Brandeis back on the map."

As momentous as the win was for the Judges, it was equally agonizing for the Violets. NYU could have won the UAA outright and clinched a berth in the more prestigious NCAA tournament with a victory.

The Violets were aggressors early on. Nine minutes into the game, as the ball bounced around the Judges' box after a Violet corner kick, sophomore attacker Branden Neal fought his way to it and knocked it perfectly past goalkeeper Taylor Bracken '10 into the upper right corner of the net to put Brandeis in an early 1-0 hole.

"I was screened, so I couldn't really see the ball," Bracken said. "If I could have seen it, maybe I could have saved it, but it was a near-perfect shot."

Unlike previous games when an early deficit deflated the Brandeis offense, the Judges increased their intensity after letting up the goal. Zackaroff tied the game just 10 minutes after the Violets' goal. A free kick by Murphy bounced off the crossbar and into the box, where forward Ben Premo '09 attempted a shot. The bouncing ball then skipped off Premo's foot to Zackaroff, who powered it right past Violet sophomore goalkeeper Chris Wright.

"It was very important that we were able to equalize the score. We erased everything that happened to us and started the game over again," Zackaroff said.

The Judges controlled the midfield for the rest of the half, making solid passes and creating offensive opportunities.

However, the Violets began to turn the momentum back in their favor after halftime, increasing the tempo of the game and becoming more aggressive in their attack, while stifling the Brandeis offense. NYU took 11 first-half shots to Brandeis' five, but in the second half attempted the same amount while limiting Brandeis to two.

"[The Violets] played with more urgency in the second half because they knew the UAA championship was on the line," coach Mike Coven said. "NYU is a great team and they put more pressure on us."

While the Judges' offense stalled in the second half, their defense managed to withstand the Violet offensive onslaught by expelling the ball more aggressively from the defensive third of the field. Bracken also raised his level of play, making five second-half

saves.

"We were scrappy," Zackaroff said. "We started to win some balls in our box and started fighting."

Heading into overtime, Murphy was confident that he and Premo could win the game.

"Ben and I were able to create some scoring chances late in the second half," Murphy said. "We knew that if we got the right opportunity, [NYU] couldn't stay with us."

Just seven minutes into overtime, Murphy's analysis proved correct. On the Brandeis counterattack, defender Brett Fitzgerald '08 dribbled the ball upfield, faked past a defender and laid the ball off to Premo. Premo noticed only one Violet defender guarding Murphy and crossed the ball to him. Murphy retrieved the ball after one bounce, powered his way past a defender and knocked it home.

"All the hard work of the season culminated in that moment, and I was happy I was able to deliver," Murphy said.

For a Brandeis team that often does not receive much recognition in the conference, this win carries extra meaning, players said.

"We haven't won in overtime this year, and we don't have many conference wins, so this was very special," Zackaroff said. "We made a name for ourselves in the conference by spoiling it for NYU."

The Judges will host No. 5-seeded Plymouth State University Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the ECAC tournament.