WILLIMANTIC, Conn. --  Senior forward Roee Maor lofted a 25-yarder under the crossbar on Brandeis University's second shot of the game in the seventh minute and the Judges went on to a 3-0 non-conference men's soccer victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Sunday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.
 
On Brandeis' (1-0-1) first real scoring chance of the game, Maor converted his only shot of the match, tucking a perfectly-placed looping shot from the top of the circle that and carried over the leap from the middle of the goal over junior keeper Nathan Yeich (Willington) and under the crossbar.
 
The Judges, former national champions who most recently advance to NCAA Final Fours in 2016 and 2017, made it 2-0 with 14 minutes left in the first half on a volley from the inside right side of the box by junior defender Andres Gonzalez off a corner kick by first-year forward Maddox Yu, and put the game away when graduate forward Sancho Maroto Tobias – who assisted on the first goal -- drilled a penalty kick shot cleanly inside the left post with eight minutes left that Yeich had no chance to contest.
 
For the first goal, Brandeis countered Yeich's goal kick that carried over midfield by one-timing it back into Eastern's defensive end. The one-timer was headed by an Eastern player and then by Maroto Tobias. Maor then split two Eastern defenders and quickly launched an arching shot from the top of the circle beyond the outstretched leap of Yeich.
 
Gonzalez' goal which made it 2-0 was a volley that was set up by Yu's corner kick that sailed to the far left post and was headed into the box, where Gonzalez got a foot on a loose ball that two Eastern defenders were unable to clear. With Yeich protecting the right post with the ball loose in the box, Gonzalez knocked the low shot to Yeich's right and inside the far left post.
 
Brandeis junior keeper Quintin Wrabley made five saves to record his second shutout in as many starts this year. Two of Wrabley's saves preserved his shutout streak. With the Judges holding that 1-0 lead following Maor's early goal, Wrabley dove to get a hand on a shot sent from the right side of the box toward the far left corner by Eastern first-year midfielder Sebastian Kadlof (Clinton) 13 minutes into the match.
 
With Brandeis leading, 2-0, at halftime, Wrabley kept that margin intact when he turned away a bid by Eastern junior midfielder Grady Kelly (Granby) on a long drive from the left flat.
 
In addition to their three scoring plays, the Judges had a number of additional chances. Four minutes after Gonzalez made it 2-0, Maroto Tobias hammered a header off Yu's corner kick off the right post. Eight minutes later, Yeich stopped first-year midfielder Juan Vera's bid from close range off another corner kick with a diving save to his right.
 
Two minutes into the second half, Yeich got defensive help from senior forward Andrés Mayuri. Off a corner kick by sophomore midfielder Rainer Osselmann-Chai, Maroto Tobias headed the ball from the left side to the far right post that eluded Yeich but was headed away at the right post by Mayuri.
 
Brandeis outshot Eastern, 16-7 (including 7-1 in the second half) and held a slim 9-6 edge in corner kicks.
 
Eastern hosts Masschusetts College Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Nevers Field.