Coach Mike Coven called it one of the worst calls he has ever seen in over three decades as a soccer coach. He labeled it "inexcusable" to lose a game like that. But with time winding down in the first half of the Judges' home game against nationall-ranked Wheaton College (No. 18) on Saturday, Brandeis midfielder Kevin Alvezi '04 was pushed to the ground deep in Brandeis territory. Wheaton midfielder George Thomas found himself one-on-one with a defenseless Ben Doyen-Charon '04 for an easy goal.

Wheaton took a 2-1 lead, and went on to win by the same score as the Judges dropped their third straight game, falling to 2-3-1 on the season.

"It was horrible," Coven said of the takedown on Alvezi. "[Thomas] took his legs out from under him. The official didn't say a thing, and [Thomas] was open for the goal. In the 31 years I've been here, it's one of the worst calls I've ever seen."

Forward Shelton Stewart '06 broke open a scoreless game midway through the first half, scoring his fourth goal of the season. Defender Dom Martignetti '04 assisted the goal, registering his first point of the season. Wheaton evened the score later in the half, with a free kick goal by junior defender Barry Finnerty.

But the Judges were out-shot 12-7 for the game and neither team was able to score in the second half. Captain goalkeeper Doyen-Charon had four saves for Brandeis.

"You can never blame a game on the officials," Doyen-Charon said. "We had chances and we didn't do what we needed to do to win."

Doyen-Charon has 26 saves on the season, but has allowed multiple goals for the first two times all season following a 2-1 overtime loss to visiting Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday. Midfielder Mike Snyder '07 scored the Judges only goal on Wednesday.

"I don't think I'm playing poorly," Doyen-Charon said. "But I'm definitely not playing super. I'm not making mistakes but I'm not coming up with the big saves we need."

The Judges will enter this week of play in an unfamiliar position as they attempt to snap a season-high three-game losing streak. Brandeis must prepare for road tilts with Gordon College on Wednesday and Wentworth Tech on Sunday. Gordon is 2-2-2, and winless through their last three games. Wentworth is 1-4-0.

Forward Yoni Litwork '07, who has been a pleasant surprise for Coven in his rookie season, was named University Athletic Association player of the week for the week ending Sept. 14. Litwok scored the first two goals of his collegiate career during a 2-1 victory over Worcester State College September 9.

"This is a very good soccer team we have," Coven said. "It's probably one of the better teams I've had in a number of years."

When the Judges travel to Wenham on Wednesday to play Gordon College they will face a Fighting Scots team that, although they have struggled recently, is nonetheless dangerous as evdenced by their preseaon CCC ranking of third and their number-seven rank on Sept. 8.

The Fighting Scots are led by Coach Mark Whitehouse, who returned to Gordon four years ago after a 14-year absence (he coached Gordon from 1980-1985). He has a career record of 231-80-25 and has been named Coach of the Year nine times in three different conferences.

Gordon is led by sophomore striker Matt Smith who has scored four goals in seven games this season as well as racked up four assists.

Both Brandeis and Gordon have played WPI this season and both lost. Brandeis fell 2-1 while Gordon was downed 1-0.