The Judges’ men’s soccer team won three games in eight days without conceding a single goal.  After concluding a four-game road trip with a record of 1–1–2 thanks to a comfortable 3–0 win at Mitchell College, Brandeis won at home against Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Tuesday and against Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday, with both games finishing 2–0.  

Against Mitchell, the result was sealed in the 31st minute when Will DeNight ’23 scored the Judges’ third goal in 16 minutes.  It was preceded by a 16th minute free kick converted by Dylan Hennessy ’20, and a Max Breiter ’20 goal from a corner five minutes after that.  The host Mariners, coming in it at 1–5–1, were outshot 20–2 as the match was well reflected in the scoreline.  The Judges also had 11 of the game’s 12 shots on target and six of its eight corner kicks.

Taking on the previously undefeated MIT Engineers, impressive performances by freshmen at both ends of the pitch guided the Judges to a convincing 2–0 victory.  After a couple of chances at either end in the opening half hour, DeNight fired the Judges into the lead in the 33rd minute.  Having entered as a substitute 11 minutes prior, DeNight received a pass from Jake Davis ’22 just outside the upper left corner of the penalty area.  After setting himself up nicely in space, he fired just inside the near post with pinpoint accuracy past goalkeeper Jeremy Cowham ’20.  The Judges nearly doubled their lead twice in the next three minutes, first when Davis shot directly at Cowham from the top of the six yard box and again when Cowham dove to his right to deny Tim Bombelli’s ’21 effort from the top of the eighteen. DeNight reentered in the second half on the hour mark and doubled his impact on 72’.  Played in by Jared Panson ’21 on a quick counter attack, he eased around a defender in the penalty area before curling his effort into the far corner of the net for his first multi-goal game at the college level, according to the Brandeis Athletics website.  Forrest Shimazu ’23 was excellent all night at the back for the home team.  The hosts outshot MIT 22–10 and 10–3 in shots on target as the Judges handed the Engineers their first loss of the season.

The Judges won their first University Athletic Association conference game of the season over the Carnegie Mellon Tartans by another scoreline of two goals to none.  There were some tense moments in a physical but goalless first half, highlighted by a pair of yellow cards.  The first was shown to Panson for a foul in the 25th minute, but the Tartans were fortunate to keep 11 men on the pitch ten minutes later when Elliot Cohen ’20 was shown only a yellow card for clipping DeNight on a slide tackle from behind.  

After the first half ended in a stalemate, the Judges burst out of the gates in the second period and it took just a minute and a half for Elias Norris ’23 to clean up a bobbling ball inside the 18 after a Jake Warren ’20 cross.  The lead was two just five minutes later when Max Breiter ’20 found the back of the net having been played in well by Noah Gans ’20.  From there, the home side managed the game well and saw out the final half hour rather comfortably.  The Tartans were flagged for offside a remarkable eight times in the game which culminated in midfielder Nick Isham, responsible for a few of those seeing yellow for a frustration foul, which summed up another excellent showing by the Judges’ backline.  Goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20 kept his fourth consecutive clean sheet, making four saves as Brandeis outshot their opponents 11–8 on the afternoon.

With an overall record of 6–2–3, men’s soccer is back in action next weekend at Case Western Reserve and then the following Tuesday at Mass Maritime.  Their next home game is on Friday Oct. 18 against the University of Chicago.