The men’s soccer team stumbled for a second straight game this weekend, following their crushing double-overtime loss to Babson College with a scoreless draw against regional rival Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday in yet another double-overtime thriller.

 Judges 0, WPI 0

Although neither team found the back of the net throughout the whopping 110 minutes of play, the match was not devoid of excitement. Brandeis had a solid opportunity to capture the lead in the 19th minute when forward Andrew Allen ’19 nearly snuck a goal past WPI junior backstop Connor Hoeckele, who came up with an impressive save to keep the game knotted at 0. 

WPI responded to Brandeis’ attack with an aggressive one of their own, nearly striking a fireball past Judges goalie Ben Woodhouse ’18 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Woodhouse was able to bat the ball away, narrowly saving the squad from what could have been a decisive goal. 

The Judges responded with another attack, failing to convert on a high-percentage opportunity when Dylan Hennessey ’20 failed to best Hoeckele in the 82nd minute. 

In the overtime, Hennessey again found himself with an opportunity to play hero for the Judges but failed to convert a free kick due to Hoeckele’s heroics. Hoeckele was the star for Worcester, finishing the game with four critical and impressively athletic saves. Neither team was able to muster a goal in the overtime periods. 

A closer look at the box score sheds light on just how evenly matched the two squads were on Wednesday. The Judges ended the game with six total shots, four of which were on goal. WPI finished with five total shots, with three on goal. Both teams had plenty of opportunities to set up a potential game-winning goal, with nine corner kicks each. However, neither squad could convert on any of the combined 18 opportunities. 

The draw drops the Judges to 3-1-1 on the season and will almost assuredly result in a slip in national rankings. The draw drops Worcester to 4-0-1 on the season. 

Though the Judges came out of the gates firing on all cylinders to start the season, it seems problems from the past are coming back to haunt the squad. Just as the team struggled to score consistently and effectively last season, the team is faced yet again with offensive woes. Looking ahead, the Judges will square off against longtime cross-town rival Tufts University on Saturday at home.