Ocel tallies twice as Judges move on to second round, 2-0, over Baruch
Ocel scored the only goal the Judges would need on the first shot of the game. In the fifth minute, the ball was played into the goal mouth from the right side of the 18-yard box. After a deflection by a defender, it slid through diving Baruch goalkeeper Helder Correia to the foot of Ocel, who buried it at 4:13 for his 11th of the season. The goal was the eighth game-winner of the season for the University Athletic Association (UAA) Most Valuable Player.
"Sam has been outstanding all year," said 40th-year head coach Mike Coven. "His play speaks for itself."
Just eight minutes and three seconds later, Ocel doubled the score. Senior Lee Russo(Westford, Mass./Westford Acad.) sent a pass into the right side of the box. Ocel was waiting at the far post to bury his 12th of the season. He tied Russo for the team lead in goals, while Russo's helper tied him with Ocel with eight on the campaign. Both have 32 points for the season.
The rest of the first half was fairly evenly contested, with shots finishing at 6-4 in favor of the Judges. In the second half, the Judges dominated possession, outshooting Baruch, 14-2, and controlling the midfield. Correia made several nice saves in the early going, including two on Brandeis sophomore Tyler Savonen (Orleans, Mass./Nauset Regional).
The Bearcats' two shots were both high-quality saves by Brandeis senior Blake Minchoff(Fiskdale, Mass./Tantasqua Regional). He came off his line in the 60th minute to beat Baruch's Akil George to a ball right at the top of box, and then stoned the Bearcats' Victor Tlepshev in the 76th minute and leading scorer Oren Kozlwoski in the 82nd to preserve the shutout. Minchoff finished with four saves and recorded his eighth shutout of the season.
"Blake has become a premier goalkeeper," said Coven. "It's just hard work. He sure put in his hours, and look what he's done these past two years."
Helder kept his side in the game with seven stops, including five in the second half.
Brandeis's win is their first in the NCAA tournament since 1984. It came in front of a paid attendance of 575 boisterous fans.
"We've been all over the country - UAA schools, New England schools. Nobody has better fans than we do," said Coven of the support from the crowd. "Our fans give us a little adrenaline rush. Our fans are great. What they've done this year and the way that they've come out and supported us, it's great for the school. It shows that Brandeis has school spirit. People come out to the games now, not just to see these guys play, but because it's fun and the atmosphere is fun."
