This Saturday’s match was head coach Joe Clarke’s 400th game in charge of the Washington University men’s soccer team. On top of this monumental occasion, his team were just minutes away from facing Emory, ranked No. 6 in the league and with a season record of 8-0. This match promised the toughest challenge yet for the Bears; they were clearly aware of such notion as they warmed up rather seriously for the game. The Bears’ starting lineup and the bench gathered for one last team huddle then got in position for kickoff.

The Bears congratulate teammate Nao Yanase after he scored the first goal of his career in the second half against Emory University. Washington University improved their record to 5-3 with their win against Emory.

The match started and Emory quickly gained possession of the ball, looking sharp on their feet as they tried to get out to a quick start against the Bears. Before 15 minutes had passed, the visitors already forced freshman goalkeeper Matt Martin to intervene twice to keep a clean sheet. It seemed for a while that the home team was at a loss; they were unable to secure possession of the ball. The Wash. U. bench sensed the trouble ahead and refused to sit down.

As time went on, the Bears finally had room to create offensive chances. Around the 24th minute, the Wash. U. men fought hard to push past the Emory defense. Sophomore Andrew Brunetti sprinted across the field with the ball, and passed it to senior Marc VandenBerg. The senior didn’t hesitate to fire into the lower corner. In a sudden turn of events, the Bears were in the lead.

After that, the rest of the first half favored Wash. U. Not only did they manage to regain possession of the ball, but Emory declined in their intensity. It seemed that despite Emory’s numerous shots on goal, the Bears looked more comfortable on the field than the visitors; they even produced more chances for another goal. Even when Wash. U. fell back on the final minutes, Emory failed to establish themselves as the threat they were at the start of the game.

However, when the second half began, Emory was back in attacking form. Once again, Martin made a couple of close saves before the visitors had a chance to capitalize on the final touch. The Bears found themselves struggling to obtain possession, but unlike the first half, they were able to reposition themselves quicker. However, it seemed that Emory was closer to making the tie as they inched closer and closer to the penalty area.

That all changed around the 60th minute when freshman Nao Yanase found himself in an area near the box. Before the Emory defense could steal the ball, the midfielder fired a beautiful left-footed shot that slammed into the far corner of the net and put the Bears up 2-0.

From there, the Bears dedicated themselves to maintaining possession of the ball, mostly through producing more offensive plays. The home team was clearly in high spirits, but a surprising goal from Emory around the 70th minute brought them back to reality. Still, as the Wash. U. bench showed with shouting support to their teammates, the team appeared strong and confident in their abilities to win the game.

The match suddenly shifted to Emory kicking their offensive strategy into overdrive. The Bears found themselves falling back into their box, but never did they show the intention to park the bus. The last five minutes dragged on, but Emory was unable to break through and produce a chance at an equalizer. Despite a last-minute play, the home team successfully got rid of the ball and destroyed the last hope for the visitors.

This 2-1 victory breaks a streak of four years where Emory dominated the Bears. “Every game has been 2-1 for the last number of years and they’ve come out on top, and so it feels good to beat such a good team,” coach Clarke commented after the celebration. “I think it was a nonstop game…You know, they were pressing and pushing forward…I think the whole game was intense the entire time and Emory is deserving of their rank and their record.”

After losing their opening three matches, Wash. U. has now ripped off five straight wins to bring their record to 5-3. The rocky start is behind them, as now they are seeing the rewards of their progress. “I feel happy for the guys. They didn’t deserve to be 0-3,” Clarke said. “It creates a lot of self-doubt…I didn’t doubt the team. I didn’t know if it would turn or not, but I didn’t doubt the ability that we have on the team…And I feel really good that the results are turning.”

The Bears will shift their focus to their Monday game against Oglethorpe University. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be hosted on Francis Field.