Leaning forward on his living room sofa, Patrick Metelus '10 made clear his current view about his behavior when he quit the varsity men's soccer team in the middle of his first season two years ago."It was the biggest mistake I have ever made," he said.

Initially frustrated with his limited playing time, Metelus eventually broke into the rotation in the middle of the season before injuring his ankle. When he returned healthy, he found his spot in the rotation was gone.

When the Judges gathered to practice the next week, Metelus was absent. He had decided to quit, without informing coach Mike Coven.

A year later, Metelus apologized to Coven and asked for a chance to return to the team. When he sat down with Coven last winter, Coven granted him a chance to prove himself in an open tryout in the spring.

Metelus not only made the team but also earned a starting spot in the Judges' midfield, where he has shone. His five goals and 12 points on the season are both second on the team to forward Ben Premo '09.

"Skill-wise and physically, he's probably one of the best players we've had in the last 10 years," Coven said in a phone interview last Saturday.

Born in Haiti as the youngest of four children, Metelus moved to Cambridge, Mass. when he was 11, joining his father and eventually his three older siblings. But Bradley Metelus, Patrick's now-35-year-old brother, said that Patrick "never got any attention from [his father]," and that his father "always wanted him to get out of the house." Two years later, when Patrick was 13, he moved in with Bradley, who was living in Medford at the time. Bradley Metelus and Patrick's current legal guardian, David Lawson, both said that Patrick's father eventually allowed Patrick to move in with Bradley.

Metelus said soccer "kept me out of trouble" through all his struggles. He joined a club team a year after arriving in the U.S. and started emerging as a player during middle school. While on the squad, Metelus grew close with a teammate named Eric Lawson, often sleeping at his house and getting rides with him to practices and games. When Metelus was in ninth grade, he started living with the Lawsons regularly. Later that year, the Lawsons became Metelus' legal guardians.

"In the beginning, he was just a friend of mine who I just played soccer with," said Lawson, now a senior at Tufts University. "As my family got to know him more and more and his situation became more and more apparent, he was spending more and more time with us. Gradually, over time, he became a part of the family."

"That's not what average people do," Metelus said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now."

Metelus attended public school for three years, but the Lawson family decided to enroll both kids in the prestigious Buckingham Browne and Nichols private school in Cambridge. Metelus spent two years there, starring on a Class A championship soccer team in his senior year. A few schools, including Brandeis, scouted him, but he only got into one of the schools to which he applied.

Brandeis was his first choice, he said. Coven tried to get him into the Transitional Year Program, but Metelus was not accepted. Instead, Metelus attended the Valley Forge Military Academy in hopes of transferring to a four-year university after a year. He didn't play any soccer, choosing instead to focus on academics.

The decision worked, as Metelus was accepted into Brandeis after the year as a transfer student.

Metelus initially struggled to break into the rotation. Coven said Metelus was used to a slower style of play, but Coven prefers his midfielders to play more up-tempo. Metelus eventually started three games but was still hoping to play more.

During a midseason game against nationally ranked Emory University, however, Metelus nearly allowed his man to score the tying goal when he did not get back on defense. Coven took him out of the game, an eventual 1-0 Judges victory. Metelus said he then hurt his ankle later that week and found he was out of the regular rotation once his injury was healed.

Metelus said he was not allowed to join the team on a late-season road trip to Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago, which upset him and eventually led to his decision to leave the team.

"After that, I felt like there was no reason for me to be on the team if I'm not even going to go on the road trips," he said. "That wasn't something I was used to, and I didn't really know how to handle it."

After Metelus decided to stop attending practice, Metelus said Coven never contacted him directly, though he adds that "was not [Coven's] responsibility."

Almost immediately, Metelus regretted his decision and his behavior, but he says it took him over a year to even speak to Coven again. Last year, he played intramural soccer and spent some time on the club soccer team but realized how much he missed the varsity team.

He decided to set up a meeting with Coven in the winter. As soon as he sat down, Metelus took responsibility for his behavior after leaving the team. It was at that point that Coven decided to give him a second chance.

"You could see he was very sincere about it," Coven remembered. "The way he handled things wasn't particularly appropriate, but he realized that. . You can sort of tell who's sincere and who's not sincere, and he was very sincere."

Due to his inactivity, Metelus was out of shape, but he worked tirelessly over the summer, losing nearly 40 pounds in the process. His dedication earned him a starting job in the midfield.

Metelus had a goal in the first game-a 5-0 win over Endicott College Aug. 30-but that was just the beginning. Metelus scored a goal in each of the team's next four games and has helped improve the Judges' offense. With Metelus in the lineup, Brandeis has scored 23 goals in its first 10 games this season, compared to just 16 over the same stretch last season.

Both player and coach said their relationship has improved. Metelus said his attitude is more positive, which Coven reiterated.

"He was a bit standoffish as a freshman," Coven said. "Now, I think he's one of the boys. Everybody loves him. ... He's really opened up personality-wise."

As the Judges enter the University Athletic Association portion of their schedule, Metelus' goals remain modest. He said he still needs to improve defensively and work on moving without the ball, and he hopes the teamimproves its UAA standing. No matter the result, however, Metelus said he is grateful for his second chance.