Bethesda resident Michael Lichtenstein first came to the United States from Herzliah, Israel, in 1975 to attend Brandeis (Mass.) University. He thought he was going on a soccer scholarship, but when he got to Judges coach Mike Coven’s office, Coven had no idea who he was.
Lichtenstein walked on instead, and turned out to be a four-year starter who led Brandeis to its first Division III national championship in 1977. Sunday in Waltham, Mass., the now 53-year-old was one of six athletes inducted into the Brandeis Athletic Hall of Fame.
‘‘Michael is a terrific player; he was a big part of us winning the Division III championship,” said Coven, now in his 34th year as head coach. ‘‘He was a great student. He epitomized everything Brandeis is all about: the true student-athlete. He is well-respected and well-liked by everyone.”
Lichtenstein was born in Durban, South Africa, and moved with his family to Herzliah at age 14. A member of the Israeli National Cricket team in 1973, he served his obligatory three years in the Israeli army as a tank officer before heading to the United States at age 20.
‘‘When I was in 12th grade, I attended an American high school,” Lichtenstein said. ‘‘My teacher lived in Boston. I had no clue: East Coast, West Coast. I got a scholarship and thought it was a soccer scholarship. So on the first day, I went to Coach Coven’s office, expecting the red carpet to be drawn out. He was just kind of like, ‘Who are you? See you at tryouts.’”
He graduated from Brandeis in 1979, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982 and his law degree from American in 1988. He still ranks seventh on the Judges’ all-time scoring list with 33 goals and 20 assists. He was a four-time Greater Boston League All-Star and two-time All-New England selection.
Soccer certainly doesn’t define Lichtenstein, who taught criminology at Temple (Pa.) University from 1982-85. But it’s a big part of his identity. At first, the sport was the one common ground between he and his peers at Brandeis. He was new to the country and unfamiliar with its culture. But on the soccer field, that didn’t matter. The team provided him with an instant, close-knit group of friends.
‘‘I think being a college athlete, it definitely helps you integrate; it gives you an identity at the school,” Lichtenstein said. ‘‘It was a lot of fun winning the Division III championship. Brandeis isn’t known as a sports Mecca. It was a big thing for the school, really lifted the spirit. I bump into people and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, you were the soccer guy.’”
Soccer has always been an outlet for the speedster, who kicked his first ball at age 6. Though Lichtenstein’s college days are long gone, he is still competing at a high level in the Over-35 league at Montgomery Soccer, Inc.
Lichtenstein has kept himself in good physical condition, competing in 25 triathlons and two marathons in the last 25 years. He qualifies for MSI’s Over-45 league and is one of the oldest on his team, but he’s still able to keep up and thrives on a good challenge.
‘‘I wasn’t expecting this [Hall of Fame] honor when [Coven] called me about three months ago,” Lichtenstein said. ‘‘But it’s very exciting; I’m very happy.”
