Goalie Blake Minchoff '13 has led the Brandeis men's soccer team to a stellar 6-2-1 record with impressive shutouts in six of the Judges' first nine games. Minchoff is in his first season as a starter and feels that he has improved with every game.

"Experience is very important as a goalkeeper, and I feel like I am getting better with every game. The key to getting better for myself and my team is staying focused," said Minchoff.

In his first year starting in the net, Minchoff has allowed just four goals in nine games. Minchoff, however, was arguably most impressive in his first -ever University Athletic Association game against the University of Rochester.

"I am most proud of the game versus Rochester this past Saturday," Minchoff explained. "It was my first UAA game as a starter and we were able to get a tie against one of the country's perennial powerhouses."

The Judges fought Rochester to a 1-1 tie, with Minchoff recording seven saves in a heartbreaking overtime loss.

Minchoff was selected as the UAA Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending on Sept. 20, when he had the best goals against average in the conference.

Minchoff, however, attributed much of his recent form to his teammates, especially those on the defensive side of the field.

"The defense does a great job of keeping the ball away from me and making my job pretty easy," he explained. "One of the most important parts of being a goalkeeper that people do not realize is communication. By communicating with my defense, I limit the amount of saves that I need to make, which is really helping our team succeed this year."

Minchoff understood he would step in as starting goalie this season and believes that his hard training over the summer to prepare for his role has gone a long way so far this season.

"I think my game management and communication are something that I worked on a lot this summer. I played on two different teams this summer and trained a lot with one of the best goalie trainers in the area," he said.

As an upperclassman and team leader, Minchoff has taken it upon himself to lead by example.

"I look to motivate my teammates by being focused and hardworking at practice," he said. "It's all about helping each other reach their individual potential so the team performs to its potential. If someone is slacking in practice, you have to find a way to motivate them. I would expect any of my teammates to do the same for me."