Playing at Gordon Field for the first time in nearly three weeks, the Brandeis men’s soccer team lost to top-ranked Tufts 4-0 on Saturday. The defeat brings the Judges’ record to 1-4-1.
The Jumbos got off to a quick start, scoring in the fourth minute. Tufts would score again in the 21st minute and lead at the half 2-0. The second half belonged to Tufts as well, as the Jumbos scored twice more. The Jumbos’ performance demonstrated why they are the nation’s top-ranked team for NCAA Division III, according to unitedsoccercoaches.org. The Jumbos are two-time defending national champions and have won four of the past six NCAA tournaments.
For Brandeis, first-year center back Andres Gonzalez ’25 was outstanding, anchoring the Judges’ defense and snuffing out several of Tufts’ chances. Junior goalkeeper Aiden Guthro ’23, who was the University Athletic Association’s (UAA) Defensive Player of the Week last week, had three saves.
Despite the score, the Judges had multiple chances to score. Their best opportunity came in the 27th minute. Midfielder Evan Glass took a throw-in from the right side in the Jumbos’ attack third. The throw deflected off several players before bouncing in front of sophomore defender Nick Dunstan-Maiese ’24 near the back post. Dunstan-Maiese attempted to head the ball in, but his shot just missed. Forward John Loo ’25 and midfielder Toby Marwell ’25 each took set pieces from just outside the 18-yard box, but neither of their shots went on goal. The Judges tallied 10 shots for the match, their third highest of the season.
The Judges were scheduled to play Wheaton College on Tuesday. However, the match was postponed due to a power outage on the field mere seconds before the match was about to start. There have been talks of rescheduling the match but nothing has been finalized yet.
The Judges’ challenging non-conference schedule should bode well for them heading into UAA play. In addition to Tufts, the Judges played close with no. 21-ranked Babson, losing 1-0 on the road. The Judges will play at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Oct. 6. The Engineers received some votes in the most recent rankings poll but did not crack the top 25. Four teams from the UAA are among the top 25 teams in the country. The University of Rochester, University of Chicago, New York University and Emory University rank sixth, ninth, 10th and 25th respectively.
The Judges have two games remaining on their homestand before traveling to Pittsburgh to take on Carnegie Mellon for their first match in UAA play this season. The team will play Bates College Saturday, Sep. 25, at 2 p.m. and then conclude the homestand against Clark University on Wednesday, Sep. 29, at 7 p.m. All home matches can be streamed live at brandeisjudges.com.
