An early start to the preseason and a different approach may be exactly what the men's soccer team needs to get started on the right foot this season as it looks to rebound from last year's disappointing 8-9-3 record. The Judges started training for the 2008 season a full two weeks before their Aug. 30 home opener against Endicott College, giving the team an extra week to prepare for the upcoming season. In years past, the University has only allowed for the team to begin practice around the same time as first-year orientation, but this year granted coach Michael Coven's Judges the opportunity to get on the field earlier.

"I think we'll be ahead of the game this year," Coven said. "We'll be better prepared just because we've been together longer. I'm pleased so far. The boys are working hard and are in good shape. There's a tremendous amount of enthusiasm."

Heading into last season, the Judges were looking to defend their 2006 Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship, but Brandeis fell to below .500 and went 0-6-1 in the University Athletic Association. Coming off a weaker 2007 season, Coven said the team is motivated to turn things around, led by senior captains Ben Premo '09, Adam Guttman '09 and Kevin Murphy '09.

"Our returning players are dedicated to having a wonderful year, and we're very strong in general," Coven said. "They've worked hard all year, and we have great captains and great leaders. I'm enthusiastic and optimistic."

A lack of proficiency on offense, particularly from all-UAA forward Ben Premo, contributed to last year's struggles. Premo led the team in scoring during its ECAC Championship run two seasons ago with 16 goals and 42 points but was hindered by an injured ankle and a weaker supporting cast last season, finishing with only two goals and nine total points.

"Individually I struggled a lot [last season]," Premo said. "The first couple games I wasn't really scoring at all, and it kind of got into my head and led to a rollercoaster of bad games, and I never really put it together."

The team as a whole managed only 26 goals in 20 games, an average of just 1.3 per contest.

This year, however, Coven expects Premo and the offense to thrive with the help of returning players such as Jamie Batista '10, Alex Ball '09 and Pat Metelus '10, who Coven said has improved greatly after taking off his sophomore season.

"Last year Premo wasn't surrounded with the great offensive players he was two years ago. This year we have players that can set him up with the right passes and give him opportunities to score," Coven said.

The Judges made up for their struggles on offense with a defense that held opponents to only 1.35 goals per game, allowing one goal or fewer in 12 games. However, Brandeis lost all three of its starting defensemen-Brett Fitzgerald '08, Joe Levitan '08 and David Weinstein '08- to graduation, forcing Coven and the Judges to adjust.

Without the experience in the backfield, the Judges will start four defensemen instead of three, thus losing a midfielder and potentially weakening the offensive attack.

"We had three senior backs, and that was a luxury," Coven said. "We're going to play four backs who don't yet have the experience. If we can get that continuity with three of the four we can play three in the back again, but for now we're doing this. It'll hurt the attack, but this is what we have to do. I'd rather be safe."

Though the team is inexperienced, Coven is excited about his rookies and said four or five of them could potentially start. Among them are midfielder Evan Ersing '12 and Luke Teece '12, whose father Mark Teece captained the Judges under Coven in the 1980s.

While goaltending was also a strength last season, first-year Sean O'Hare is making a strong push for the stating job over last year's starter Taylor Bracken '10. Matt Lynch '11 is also vying for the position, creating a tough decision for the Brandeis coaching staff.

"Bracken is being pushed by O'Hare and Lynch, and right now it's a three-man race," Coven said. "I have a week to decide, but it's a great and competitive race, and all three are doing well."

Coven hopes the team can succeed knowing expectations within the conference are lower-the team is ranked eighth out of eight teams in the preseason UAA coaches poll-after coming off a losing season in 2007.

"The UAA is the most competitive conference in the country." Coven said, "We're going in as the underdog, but hopefully we'll surprise some teams.