When men's soccer goalkeeper Blake Minchoff '13 first played in net in middle school, it was because the goalie on his team got hurt and they needed a backup.

"I was the biggest kid on the team, and probably the most out of shape, so they threw me in goal," he joked, making it clear that he hated the position.
Look at him now.

This past year, Minchoff quarterbacked a defense that allowed just 16 goals in 22 games and made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Tournament, the best run the program has experienced since 1985.

"I am thrilled with what we accomplished this year," said Minchoff after the season had finished. "We experienced something that not many soccer players got to experience."

In high school, Minchoff reached out to men's soccer coach Mike Coven, who watched some of his games.

Yet, his role as a collegiate starter didn't come until his junior year. His first two years, he said, were humbling.

"The first two years, I was pretty intimidated. But I kept working hard and trying to improve."

Then, at the beginning of the 2011-12 season, it was Minchoff's turn. And he didn't disappoint, allowing just 10 goals the entire season and earning All-UAA Honorable Mention while winning the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Championship.

This year, though, was supposed to be quite different. After graduating two top center backs Ari Silver '12 and David McCoy '12, both First Team All-UAA selections who, according to Minchoff, "helped fix some of [my] mistakes," the team was expected to suffer a bit on defense.

However, a couple of tactical changes benefited the squad. First, Coven moved Joe Eisenbies '13 from holding midfielder to center back, while also bringing in Matt Brondoli '14 off the bench to fill the other central defense position.

And while the team gave up six more goals than it did last year, its 16-2-1 record and No. 17 national ranking were even more impressive than last year's 12-5-1 finish.

For his performances, Minchoff was again named All-UAA Honorable Mention, while compiling a save percentage of 81.4 percent, including several highlight-reel stops during the first and second round games against Baruch College and Vassar College, respectively.

While the team will have a large void to fill in the net next season, Minchoff is confident that the squad will continue to improve.

"There are 15 really talented guys on our team who didn't see the field this year," he said. "Every year, the freshman class keeps getting better."