Brandeis soccer teams nationally ranked ahead of homecoming double-header 

Stereotypical Americana features football as the usual homecoming headliner, but schools without the sport like Brandeis University pivot to other games.

For the Judges, it’s soccer, and both of the school’s teams rank in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 — the women No.10, men No. 12 — ahead of Saturday’s homecoming double-header against University Athletic Association (UAA) foe Emory University. The men take the Gordon Field pitch first at 11 a.m., followed by the women at 1:30 p.m. 

“It’s always awesome when both programs are finding success,” said coach Mary Shimko, a 2014 graduate and former four-year starter. “I think we feed off each other a little bit. We travel together during all of our conference games, so it’s a pretty unified group.” 

The homecoming weekend also includes the school’s annual Joseph M. Linsley Hall of Fame enshrinement. Six honorees will be enshrined. There’s also a beer garden with food trucks alongside activities for kids. 

The Brandeis women (6-1-3, 0-0-1 UAA) lost their league opener at No. 5 Washington University over the weekend, but impressed in non-conference play. Senior defender Sam Kipperman (3 goals, 3 assists) and junior forward/defender Lacey Mbugua (2 goals, 5 assists) pace the team in scoring. Four other players have multiple goals. 

Senior captain Briar Grady might not score or assist much, but she plays a key role as the team’s center back. Junior goalkeeper Amaya Logan has been “fantastic” this fall, Shimko said, especially when she stopped a season-high seven shots in a 2-1 win over then-No. 6 MIT on September 13. 

“I knew we had really good people, and I know if you have good people that are really bought into a culture, you can do something with that. I knew that we’d be solid, but I’m never really sure what the season’s going to look like, but I knew we had some good, strong student-athletes.” 

Brandeis last qualified for the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament in 2022, advancing to the second round in the first year of Shimko’s tenure. 

Men’s soccer hopes

The Brandeis men (7-1-2, 0-1 UAA) hope to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, when the Judges made it to the final four in coach Gabe Margolis’s first year as head coach. 

Last season, the Judges started slow and couldn’t turn it around in time for a postseason berth. This fall, the team started fast thanks to a mix of standout seniors and impact underclassmen. While many of the seniors were abroad as juniors in the spring, younger players stepped up during offseason training. 

“The guys had really taken ownership of it, not without them, but in their place,” said Gabe Margolis, who is in his 20th year with the program, eighth as head coach. “We did graduate some seniors but also returned a lot. We had high expectations coming to this year, and this group has met or exceeded them.”

The Judges fell at No.11 Washington University in their conference opener, but like the women, dominated non-conference play, highlighted by a win over then-No. 12 Babson and draw versus then-No. 9 Wheaton. 

Seniors Nico Beninda (4 goals, 1 assist) and Rainer Osselmann-Chai (3 goals, 1 assist) lead a balanced scoring team. 

Sophomore back Dylan Marzouca has yet to score or assist, but Margolis said he has developed into one of the team’s most consistent players. Senior goalkeeper Tyler Correnti looks solid in his first year starting. 

Both Brandeis soccer teams cracked the top 25 simultaneously during the regular season in 2017. Both teams rank in the top 12 for the first time in a decade. The teams travel to conference games together due to their conference’s flight-centric travel schedule, which includes trips to St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago this year. They enjoy cheering for each other. 

“It definitely creates a really good vibe and culture amongst our soccer programs,” Shimko said. 

“Really bonds the teams together,” Margolis said. “When both groups are good, it adds a level of excitement.”

Editor’s note: All records and statistics reflective of games through Monday, Oct. 6.