Men's soccer ranked in Division III top 25

For the first time in more than a decade, the Brandeis University men’s soccer team has been ranked in the top 25 in the nation in Division III, checking in at No. 23 in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.

In head coach Mike Coven’s 40th year on the sidelines, the Judges got off to a flying start this weekend, defeating two opponents by a combined 7-0 score at the Xara Classic in Keene, N.H. Brandeis opened the season with a 3-0 win over Ithaca College thanks to a pair of goals by Lee Russo ‘13. It was followed up with a 4-0 win over host Keene State College thanks to a career-high five-point performance by Sam Ocel ‘13, who scored two goals and had an assist. The Judges also played stellar defense, including senior goalkeeper Blake Minchoff ‘13 who made seven saves in the two victories for his 13th and 14th career shutouts. Minchoff, who also turned in shutouts in Brandeis’s final four games of the 2011 season, was among the NCAA Division III leaders in goals-against average (7th, 0.51), shutouts per game (7th, 0.62) and save percentage (20th, .864) last season.

Brandeis is coming off a 15-5-1 season in which it defended its Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III New England crown. The Judges are scheduled to face three other teams in this week’s top 25 later in the season. No. 10 Babson comes to Gordon Field on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. Brandeis will open its University Athletic Association schedule on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at sixth-ranked University of Rochester, while the regular-season home finale is Oct. 28 against No. 13 Carnegie Mellon at 1:30 p.m.