Box Score
WALTHAM, Mass. – Having managed to piece together a three-game unbeaten streak – including a home tie Tuesday against the region's second-ranked team – despite a banged-up team heading into Sunday's non-conference game against Brandeis University, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team justifiably felt good about where it stood two weeks into the season.
 
And those good feelings only intensified behind an early goal mid-way through the first half that gave Eastern (1-2-2) a halftime lead before Brandeis (3-1-1 in their best start in five years) scored the tying and go-ahead (penalty kick) goals in a span of roughly two minutes in the opening minutes of the half and went on to a 3-1 victory at Gordon Field.
 
Eastern, coming off an encouraging 2-2 tie in its home-opener Tuesday against the regionally-ranked and No. 19 nationally-ranked U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was  first  on the board Sunday thanks to first-year player Eliot Melgar's (New York, NY) first career goal on an assist from sophomore Sebastian Kadlof (Clinton) in the 29^th minute. Despite being outshot 10-4 in the first half, that lead stood up until the Judges connected twice in the first 11 minutes of the second half, gaining the equalizing by sophomore Aidan Chuang on a one-timer off a crossing pass in the 55^th minute and what proved to be the game-winner on a penalty kick goal in the 57^th minute  awarded to junior Rainer Osselmann-Chai. Eastern senior keeper Nathan Yeich (Willington) had made an inititial save of Osselmann-Chai's shot but was issued a yellow card while attempting to deny the follow-up shot which would have gone into an open goal.
 
Like Eastern, Brandeis was unbeaten (2-0-1) following an opening road loss this year, but was able to extend that unbeaten streak Sunday after defeating the Warriors for the second straight year in this two-game series rivalry. The Judges were ranked eighth in the first USC Region II poll following their early-season success despite coming off a 3-8-6 campaign a year ago (1-3-3 in the highly-competitive University Athletic Association) which included a season-ending six-game winless streak (0-3-3).
 
Sunday, Yeich  and first-year goalie Jack Harmon (Manasquan, NJ) shared the net for Eastern. Yeich made four saves and left on the short end of a 2-1 score thanks to the PK, while Harmon, in his second appearance, made one save and allowed the Judges' final insurance goal with 13 minutes left. Senior Quintin Rabley made one save on the two of the Warriors' seven shots which reached goal.
 
Eastern hosts Clark University Wednesday at 4 p.m. before visiting the University of Southern Maine in the first of four Little East Conference matches that open the conference season. Clark and Eastern will be meeting for the first time while the Warriors have lost only six of 41 games in the all-time series against USM. Eastern has won the last 15 straight (the last nine by shutout) and 19 of the last 20 against the Huskies.
 
The contest against USM will be the Warriors' 326^th under 18^th-year Eastern head coach Greg DeVito, the most games by a coach in the program's 65—year history. DeVito already has won more games and has posted the best winning percentage among the program's six head coach.