Although the men's soccer team dropped from the pinnacle of the University Athletic Association standings this weekend by losing 2-1 at home to Carnegie Mellon University Sunday, the team's bid for an NCAA Division III Tournament bid is still alive. Sitting at 15-2-1 after Sunday's defeat, the Judges defeated Emory University 3-1 last Friday.
Although Saturday's defeat against Smith College in this year's New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference signified the end of the season for the women's rugby team, there were many positives to take from this season. Initially a thriving team on the Brandeis club sports scene during the 1990s, the team was a perennial powerhouse. However, the club saw a lull in retention rates in the beginning of the 2000s. Yet, LauraBen Moore'14 states that there are brighter days ahead for a team that has just recently found its way back to prominence. "In the last two to three years, there have been massive changes in retention rates, attendance, and membership," said Moore. "In 2010, we had eight veterans.
Prior to the season, men's soccer coach Mike Coven was unsure of his team's fate. Last year, Brandeis put together a solid 15-5-1 record and won its second consecutive Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship.
With the championship portion of their season beginning in a couple of weeks, the men's and women's cross country teams measured well against their regional opponents at the New England Championships on Sunday held at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass. Competing against programs from Division I and II as well as Division III, the men's and women's squads placed 29th and 27th, respectively, out of 37 teams.
Babson senior forward Eric Anderson scored six times against the men's soccer team in his career before Wednesday's game. Though the Beavers' two-time All-American gave them a first half lead, the Judges had the last laugh in the second sudden-death overtime. Judges midfielder Sam Ocel '13 scored with eight minutes, one second left in double overtime to cap a spirited rally and hand Brandeis a hard-fought 2-1 victory over their longtime rivals. "I think the second half was the best soccer we have played in the past three years," said Judges coach Mike Coven, whose team improved to 8-0-0 with the win. "The whole team won the game, not just the people on the field," said forward Lee Russo '13, whose 66th -minute equalizer set the stage for Ocel's dramatic winner.
A young 25-year-old aspiring coach named Mike Coven came to Brandeis to take over the men's soccer program in 1972. Forty years later, he is still the same boisterous and chipper coach, dedicated to his job at the head for the Judges. "I love my job," Coven said of his role the day after his 450th career victory, a 2-1 double-overtime win against local rival Babson College.
The Judges made a statement in the collegiate and professional sporting worlds over the past week. Swimming The swimming and diving program will feature some new faces for the 2012-13 season.
The women's soccer team found itself in a precarious position in its game against Springfield College last Saturday afternoon. Despite leading 1-0, the Judges were on the defensive side of the field for the majority of the second half.
Possessing a 2-0 lead midway through the second half, the men's soccer team must have felt that it had last Sunday's game against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all but wrapped up. The win came eventually, but not as easily as the team would have hoped. After MIT pulled within a goal to make it 2-1, Brandeis managed to notch an insurance goal, retaking a two-goal lead.
Before the season, men's soccer coach Mike Coven, after losing his top seniors, expressed cautious optimism while assessing his team's chances for the 2012-13 season. After winning the Keene State College Invitational Tournament, he must be more confident. "We had a nice weekend," said Coven.
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