No kicking back at Brandeis
Judges return to Final Four with Margolis
The Brandeis men’s soccer team experienced a makeover at the top that didn’t affect where the program was headed.
The Judges advanced to the Division 3 Final Four for the second consecutive season and for the fifth time in program history under first-year coach Gabe Margolis.
Brandeis (17-4) dispatched with Tufts, 1-0, in the quarterfinals and will take on perennial power Messiah in the semifinal round tomorrow in Greensboro, N.C.
Two Illinois-based programs, North Park and Chicago, will square off in the second semifinal. The title game will be played on Saturday night.
Margolis was an assistant under Mike Coven, who oversaw the program for 44 years and led the Judges to the national championship in 1976. Coven retired after last season.
“It was a pretty easy transition,” said Margolis, a 2005 Wheaton graduate. “I think coach Coven’s willingness to let me be involved in so much and I learned from him in many different ways and that made the transition easy. I knew the administration and the guys of the team and the recruits coming in so well because I had been a part of all those things. That piece made it much easier than some coaching changes might be.”
With the system and athletes in place, the early challenge this season was getting all the layers functioning as a unit in front of standout senior keeper Ben Woodhouse of Suffield, Conn.
Senior midfielder Josh Ocel (North Attleboro/ Worcester Academy) expanded his offensive role this year and has been in on 15 of the Judges’ 43 goals, with four tallies and 11 assists. Brandeis has a productive forward trio in Mike Lynch (Weymouth), who leads with seven goals, fellow senior Patrick Flahive (Worcester Academy), who has six, and junior Andrew Allen (Norfolk/King Philip), who has five.
Ocel is just the second player in the history of the University Athletic Association to be a first-team All-Star for four straight seasons and he owns the Brandeis career assist record (44), a number he would like to see grow in the Final Four.
“Josh has been a fantastic four-year player for us,” Margolis said. “He works so hard and he cares some much and is a huge driving force along with other players. He puts in a huge amount of work in the offseason and he’s (an example) to the other guys.”
Lynch has been the Judges’ go-to guy in the NCAA tournament this season and last. He has scored six goals over the two tournaments to earn the nickname “Mr. November” from his peers.
“He has been a real good player for his four years despite some injury issues,” Margolis said. “Some seasons were more challenging than others, but last year and this year he really came alive at the most opportune time. The best way to describe him is really clutch. He puts himself in great spots and he has scored some huge goals for us.”
Brandeis averages 2.05 goals per game and allows 0.59. That winning ratio can be credited to the Judges’ four backs led by senior Sam Vinson and Woodhouse, who is 13-3 with nine goals allowed, 61 saves and a .871 save percentage.
“This whole group has worked very hard but the real strength of this team has been the back line and the goalkeeper, and I think Ben Woodhouse is the best keeper in the country,” Margolis said.