WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's soccer team played faced their rivals from Tufts University tonight and the Judges suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Jumbos in the fifth-straight one-goal game between the sides. With the loss, the Judges fall to 3-4 on the season, while the Jumbos – ranked No. 3 in Division III by the United Soccer Coaches and No. 6 by D3Soccer.com – improve to 6-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tufts scored a pair of early goals to establish an early two-goal lead.
• Just 80 seconds into the contest, the visitors took advantage of a miscue in front of the net, with junior Joe Braun (Yardley, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) finding classmate Gavin Tasker (Concord, Mass./Middlesex School) open inside the six-yard box with a wide-open net.
• At the 10:51 mark, the Jumbos doubled the lead when senior Sterling Weatherbie (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Phillips Exeter) served a ball to junior Zach Lane (Lansing, Mich./East Lansing). Lane's header on net deflected off a Brandeis defender and away from Judge junior goalie Noah Cohen (North Barrington, Ill./Lake Forest Academy).
• The Judges got one goal back early in the second half, when junior Jake Warren (Medway, Mass./Medway) ran on to a long free kick by senior Josh Handler (Oakdale, Conn./Montville). Warren chipped over charging Jumbo GK Conner Mieth (Montclair, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) to close within one.
• Mieth had made two terrific saves earlier in the half, coming off his line to defend a shot by Brandeis junior Bryant Nardizzi (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) in the 53^rd minute, then making a diving save against his momentum on senior Brandon Miskin (Needham, Mass./Worcester Academy) just 60 seconds later.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Tufts held an edge in shots, 17-16, with Brandeis owning a 10-8 lead in the second half.
• Mieth finished with four saves, plus a ball cleared off the line by the Tufts defense in the 30^th minute.
• Cohen made a career-high five saves in his first collegiate 90-minute game.
• The Jumbos owned an 8-3 edge in corner kicks, including 7-1 in the second half.
• This was the fifth time in the last four years the teams have played a one-goal game, but the first that both sides scored a goal.
• Brandeis falls to 17-21-2 in the all-time series.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis plays host to Wheaton College next Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.
• Tufts is off until next Wednesday night at 7 when they host Wesleyan in a NESCAC contest.