From Brandeis University Athletics
Four members of the Brandeis University men's soccer team have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-New England team. Senior back Conor Lanahan of Avon, Conn., and junior midfielder Josh Ocel of North Attleboro, Mass., were both first-team selections. Senior midfielder Jake Picard, of Suffield, Conn., was a second-team honoree, while senior back Robbie Lynch of Weymouth, Mass., was on the third team.
Lanahan is a first-team All-New England selection for the second year in a row. In 2014, he was named a first-team All-Region and second team All-America honoree, while also earning first-team All-America and National Defender of the Year honors from D3soccer.com. This year, he anchored a Brandeis defense that finished 16th nationally with a 0.61 goals-against average (14 goals allowed) and 27th with a 0.55 shutout percentage (12 shutouts in 22 games). Lanahan also scored two goals and had an assist, which came in the Judges' 2-1 win over Thomas College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Nov. 14.
Ocel was a second-team All-Region selection as a sophomore after missing his rookie campaign due to injury. In 2015, he tied for the team lead with four goals and topped the squad with 10 assists to lead the Judges with 18 points. He led the University Athletic Association in assists and tied for fourth in total points, while his 10 assists were 27th in all of Division III. Ocel was involved in 14 of the Judges' 29 goals this season. He scored three game-winners, including one with less than a minute left in regulation in the NCAA win against Thomas, while also assisting a goal in the team's second-round win over RPI on Nov. 15, a game the Judges won 2-1 in double overtime.
Picard was a fourth-team All-New England selection as a junior. This season, he continued to be a force in the middle for the Judges in a mainly defensive role, regularly winning 50/50 balls and headers. He also scored three-straight game-winning goals for the team, including an overtime winner against Babson College on Sept. 12 that gave the Judges the 500th career victory for head coach Mike Coven.
Lynch earns his first All-New England honor. Earning an additional season of eligibility as the result of an injury in his junior season, Lynch was a terrific outside back for the Judges. In addition to aiding Lanahan on the back line with his tackling skill, Lynch provided one assist in a 4-2 UAA win over Carnegie Mellon on Oct. 3.
In addition to the NSCAA honor, Lanahan, Picard and Lynch also represented the Judges in the New England Senior All-Star game, hosted by Brandeis, on Nov. 28. The team's senior class will graduate with 71 career victories, most in school history over a four-year span.
In head coach Mike Coven's 43rd season on the sidelines, the Brandeis men's soccer team finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in Division III by the NSCAA with a 16-2-1 record. The Judges won their first-ever outright UAA title and automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament in the process, their fourth-straight trip to the tournament. Playing at home, Brandeis defeated Thomas (Maine), 2-1, in the first round on a goal by Ocel with 42.6 seconds left in regulation. They defeated RPI by the same score in double overtime in the second. The Judges met second-ranked Trinity (Texas) University in the third round at Amherst College, and suffered a 2-0 defeat to close their season with an 18-3-1 record.
Lanahan is a 2012 graduate of Avon High School.
Ocel is a 2013 graduate of Worcester Academy.
Picard is a 2012 graduate of Suffield High School.
Lynch is a 2011 graduate of Weymouth High School.
Click here for the full NSCAA All-New England region team: http://www.nscaa.com/2015-nscaa-ncaa-division-iii-men-s-all-new-england-region