Nathaniel Margolies | Student Life

Junior Emily Gosché, Senior Emma Brown, Sophomore Lauren Steimle, Sophomore Jen Reed, and Senior Alyssa Marulli line up on Francis Field before a game against Carnegie Mellon on October 2.

With the regular season successes of the Washington University volleyball, cross country and men’s and women’s soccer teams, a postseason berth was essentially a foregone conclusion for all four teams.

But the volleyball team and both soccer teams received additional good news on Monday, when the postseason brackets were released and all three found out that they would be hosting opening-round matches in the postseason.

Here’s a quick look at each of those three teams—along with the cross country teams, which will travel to Rock Island, Ill., for the NCAA Midwest Regional—and their looming postseason opponents.

Ending the regular season with a 14-3-1 record and a share of the University Athletic Association title, the Bears will open up postseason play against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Thursday evening at Francis Field. Whitewater, which finished the season as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference champion with an 11-7-1 record, will be facing the Bears for the first time in history. Wash. U. is making its second consecutive tournament appearance and 20th overall, and it is seeking its first postseason win since 2007 when it reached the NCAA quarterfinals. The Bears are looking to improve their postseason track record after a heartbreaking loss in last season’s second round, in which they lost in penalty kicks to Loras College.

If the Bears win, they will travel to Delaware, Ohio, to face No. 6 Ohio Wesleyan University on Sunday. While Wash. U. has not played OWU since 1990, the Bears are 5-2 all-time against the Bishops.

The women’s team was rewarded for its 15-4 regular season campaign with a shot at home-field advantage in each of the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Bears have won at least one postseason game each year since 2006, and will be looking to continue that streak by beating Thomas More College in the opening round on Saturday. Thomas More comes in as the Presidents’ Athletic Conference champions, sporting a 12-4-1 record. The Saints will also be facing Wash. U. for the first time ever.

Eric Chalifour | Student Life

Junior Marilee Fisher plays against Webster University on Wedneday, October 26. The Bears scored a 3-0 victory Wednesday and defeated all rivals this weekend to win the Halloween Classic.

The Bears would host the winner between Ohio Wesleyan University (12-4-4) and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (12-6-3) if they advance to the second round. Wash. U. is 2-0 all time against OWU and 1-0 against Whitewater.

With a 32-1 record and the 2011 UAA championship to its name, the volleyball team will begin its 25th straight postseason appearance in the Washington University Field House. The Bears are very familiar with their opening-round opponent: cross-town rival Webster, which has never beaten Wash. U. in 19 tries (including a 3-0 Bears win on Oct. 26).

The Bears’ opponent in the second round would be either UAA rival No. 15 Chicago (the first team to beat Wash. U. in a set in 2011, during a 3-1 Bears win on Oct. 15) or No. 21 Wisconsin-Whitewater (whom the Bears defeated 3-0 on Sept. 10). Among the potential Regional Championship match opponents is No. 9 Carthage College, whom the Bears have faced and swept four times since the 2009 season, including a 3-0 win on Sept. 9 of this season.

With the cross country teams having another strong year, as both the men’s and women’s squads are in the top five of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) Poll, both have high aspirations heading into the regional meet on Saturday morning. The men’s team enters the race as the Midwest region’s No. 2 team, behind only defending regional champion and USTFCCCA No. 1 overall North Central College. The team will look to improve on its fourth-place regional finish in 2010, and will be facing some of the country’s best in North Central, No. 5 Wheaton, and No. 8 Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

The women’s team, which trails only Williams College in the overall national rankings, enters the weekend as the Midwest’s No. 1 team. The team will be looking to take the Midwest regional title from No. 7 overall Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which won the regional title in 2010.

Wash. U. won 1-0 behind sophomore Jen Reed’s third goal of the season. She scored unassisted from 35 yards out, blasting the ball into the top corner of the net. This 76th-minute goal was the only score of the game.

“It felt fantastic [to get the win]. It was a goal of ours to beat Chicago. Jen Reed’s shot was amazing, absolutely amazing,” senior co-captain Emma Brown said. “We haven’t beaten them the last few years, and it felt really good; it was a great way to end off regular season play.”

Each team had a number of chances. Both ended with 12 shots, although the Bears had seven shots on goal, one more than Chicago. The first half was controlled by the Maroons, seeing them get 10 shots in the first 45 minutes. Junior goalkeeper Clara Jaques finished with six saves to record her fifth shutout of the year.

“Especially in the first half we had some scary defensive moments, and our amazing goalie stopped all of them, and also we had everyone on the bench,” senior co-captain Lee Ann Felder said. “In the first half, our back-up goalie [junior] Caitlin Heim wasn’t playing in goal, and she went in on the field because we needed someone to play forward, and she was ready and went in and did great, which was awesome because she had never played on the field in a game before.”

In the second half, the Bears took over, limiting Chicago to two shots while taking eight of their own, culminating in Reed’s goal. The Red and Green also had four corner kicks in the second half, to finish with six for the game.

“[Head coach Jim Conlon] said that we really need to come out and seize the game like we do in the second half because again we start slow and then play better in the second half. That’s been our theme in the season—so positive—but we need to figure out how to come out strong in the first half, too,” Felder said.

Wash. U. picked up a team yellow card late in the second half. For the game, Chicago had nine fouls to only five for the Bears, and each team was called offsides twice.

With a positive end to the regular season, the team looks forward to Monday’s selection show for the Division III postseason, which will air at 12:30 p.m.

“We’re just looking forward to the next game, waiting to see if we make the tournament [and] who we’re playing,” Brown said. “[We’ll] try to carry the grit that it took to win the game against Chicago into tournament play.”

The win earned the Bears second place in the University Athletic Association.

Reed scored her third goal of the season on an unassisted blast to the top corner of the goal from 18 yards out.

Chicago got off to a fast start, peppering junior goalkeeper Clara Jacques with ten shots in the first half, but Jacques was able to stave off the attacks and recorded five saves.

Please see Monday’s issue of Student Life for a full recap.

Nathaniel Margolies | Bear Moments

Sophomore Lauren Steimle No. 13 defends the ball from Laura Simicich No. 25 of Carnegie Mellon. Steimle has made 8 goals and 1 assists so far on the year.

A systems science and engineering major from St. Charles, Ill., Steimle went from playing in only 11 games in 2010 to starting 13 so far in 2011, and the change has paid off. Steimle is third-highest scorer with eight goals, including one game-winner against Webster University on Oct. 6, and has notched one assist on the season. Student Life recently sat down with Steimle to talk about everything relating to her soccer life.

Student Life: How did you start playing soccer?

Lauren Steimle: I think, when I was younger, my parents just sort of threw me in everything, and I guess soccer was the thing that I just liked the most. I started playing just rec. soccer. I think originally I was playing with the boys, so it was like the [under]-six league or something. I started playing travel at U-8, so that’s when it started becoming a little more serious. Throughout high school, I played on both my high school team and my club team.

SL: When you were a kid, did you always play midfield?

LS: Yeah, I played pretty much everything but defender, I guess. When I was younger, I usually played up top. In high school, I more played center mid, but now I’m on the outside.

SL: What made you choose to come to Wash. U.?

LS: Basically, it’s a great school, and I wanted to be able to play soccer. It’s pretty much the best of both worlds.

SL: How do you think you have improved in your time at Wash. U.?

LS: I guess I’ve just adjusted to the pace of play. The game is a lot faster and more physical than in high school. I think by being able to read where the ball is going rather than reacting to it, I’ve been able to put myself in scoring positions. I think I’ve also gained some confidence on the ball that I didn’t really have last year.

SL: What part of your game really suits playing on the wing?

LS: This year I think the thing is my coach wanted to have more attackers on the field in general, so taking someone who maybe has a forward’s finishing mentality and putting them on the wing. I think that’s why I’m playing there now.

SL: This year you’re seeing the field a lot more than last year and as a result you have recorded eight goals and one assist. What do you really think is the biggest change that you or the team made in the offseason?

LS: I think that as a team, we are just playing a lot better; we are scoring more goals, and just being in the other team’s half more usually generates more chances, which we just have been finishing, so I think it’s a lot of that.

SL: What would you say is the strongest part of your game?

LS: I like to think I have pretty good field vision. I like to be able to slip a person through if they’re open. I guess my technical ability too.

SL: On the other side, what do you think you need to improve a little bit?

LS: I guess I’m not the biggest person [laughter], so I have to compensate for that a little bit, so I wish I could be better winning balls in the air.

SL: [Laughter] I mean, that’s not really something that you can change, but that’s O.K. What sort of professional role models or influences do you have?

LS: I guess I really like how [FC Barcelona forward Lionel] Messi plays because he is pretty skillful, and I think that’s really cool. And [Atlanta Beat midfielder] Lori Chalupny, of course! She is our assistant coach and pretty cool, too.

SL: What do you think has been your best or favorite memory of Wash. U. soccer so far?

LS: We’ve had a couple of great come-from-behind games this season, so a couple of those. I also have some friends on Illinois Wesleyan [University] and we beat them pretty good, so that was fun. We’ve got three big games left that we’re guaranteed, and then hopefully we will make it to the tournament and create some great memories there.

SL: In UAA play, you’ve got the University of Rochester, Case Western Reserve University and the University of Chicago coming up. What do you think your chances are in those games?

LS: I think we’ve shown that we can hang with anyone in our conference. The couple we’ve dropped, I think we’ve probably outplayed them, and so we’ve just got to finish our chances.

See Steimle and the rest of the Bears take on Rochester on Friday at 8 p.m. and Case Western on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. this weekend at Francis Field.

Webster scored off a rebound in the 42nd minute after junior Clara Jacques saved the first shot.

But in the 49th minute, senior Emma Brown jump-started the rally with the game-tying goal. Brown collected the ball on the left flank before cutting inside across the box and powering a shot to the far post and into the net.

In the 58th minute, sophomore Lauren Steimle scored for the fourth game in a row to make it 2-1, and Brown added her second of the game four minutes later.

Sophomore Jessica Johnson put the finishing touch on the victory with a goal in the 88th minute. Senior Mari Greenberg headed the ball over the defense, and Johnson volleyed it into the top right corner for a 4-1 lead.

Jacques recorded the 37th victory of her career, moving her to the top of the school’s all-time wins list.

The Bears (11-1) travel to Atlanta, Ga. for a University Athletic Association battle with No. 6 Emory University.

Freshman Anna Zambricki provided the breakthrough for the Bears when she scored her ninth goal of the season off a through ball from senior Emma Brown in the 62nd minute.

Sophomore Jen Reed scored in the 70th minute with a header off a corner kick from senior Lee Ann Felder. Sophomore Lauren Steimle iced the game in the 80th minute off a cross from Zambricki, and the Red and Green cruised to the end.

Wash. U. will host Webster University at Francis Field on Thursday night before traveling to Atlanta, Ga. to face No. 4 Emory University.

“We played well,” head coach Jim Conlon said. “DePauw is a quality team.”

Wash. U. dominated possession and had a 15-to-3 advantage in shots in the first half, but DePauw was still able to score twice in the first half on the counterattack.

The first goal for the Tigers came only seven minutes into the game. Following a foul, the 20-yard free kick by midfielder Alex Ehr was blasted past the wall and into the top right corner of the Bears’ goal.

Only a few minutes later, DePauw was on the counterattack again. After a number of quick passes, Ehr found midfielder Chloe Jacob for a one-timer, culminating in their second goal in the 16th minute.

The rest of the half passed with multiple chances for the Bears but an inability to find the back of the net. Tigers’ goalkeeper Caroline Kerr had 10 saves in the first half, preventing the Red and Green from evening the score.

At the half, Conlon just told the team one thing: “Play Bear soccer.”

It did not take long for the comeback to start in the second half. Thirty seconds in, a free kick from the left side by senior midfielder Lee Ann Felder was headed in by senior forward Emma Brown to reduce the deficit to one.

“We came out fighting in the second half,” Brown said.

Wash. U. dominated play in the last 45 minutes. The ball barely left their possession and DePauw was held to just one shot. The Bears had many opportunities as they kept the ball on their offensive area.

In the 55th minute, Brown scored again to tie the game. The ball was in a scrum near the goal and Brown was able to tap it into the bottom left corner.

Twenty minutes later, a free kick by sophomore Kate Doyle was brought under control and scored by junior Lauren Clatch for her first goal of the season. Clatch’s score gave the Bears the advantage and finished the scoring for the night.

“We played the way we are capable of playing,” Conlon said. “[But] it’s just one game.”

The remainder of the game passed quietly as DePauw was unable to find any way to sustain possession; One good chance was offset by an offsides call, giving the ball back to the Bears.

“Our heart showed through,” Brown said.

Wash. U. concluded the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Rhodes College on Sunday afternoon. Senior forward Mari Greenberg volleyed in the game-winning goal in the 38th minute off of an assist from sophomore Jessica Johnson.

The Bears outshot the Lynx 25-1 and recorded 13 shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Clara Jaques recorded the save in the seventy-fifth minute and was not challenged for the majority of the game.

Wash. U. faces Principia College on Tuesday, Sept. 13 in Elsah, Ill., at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Women’s Soccer Games

Sept. 1
Season opener against Missouri Baptist University at Francis Field.

Sept. 17
The Bears host No. 7 Wheaton College, who defeated Wash. U. 2-0 last season.

Oct. 9
The Red and Green travel to Atlanta, Ga. to face No. 5 Emory University hoping to come home with a big UAA victory.

Oct. 23
The Bears face their third Top-10 team of the season when they travel to Dubuque, Iowa to face No. 8 Loras College.

Nov. 5
Wash. U. closes the season by traveling to face 20th-ranked and defending UAA Champion University of Chicago.

For the Washington University women’s soccer team, 2010 and 2011 could not be any different.

Last season, the Bears fielded just six returning starters en route to an 11-8-2 record, a fourth-place conference finish and a second-round NCAA tournament exit. The fourth-place conference finish broke the Bears’ streak of four consecutive conference titles.

All but one starter from that team have returned, and, with a more experienced lineup, the Bears are expecting a major turnaround in 2011.

“Obviously, it’s a huge flip from last year. Last year we had one senior and we struggled a little bit; all of us were stepping up into roles we weren’t used to,” senior forward Emma Brown said. “We came into this year and…everyone has just been so mature. It’s amazing to have so many different leaders in every position on and off the field, so it’s definitely a nice change.”

Among the 10 returning starters are four seniors and four juniors, but the entire team’s roster is dotted with upperclassmen.

“We think our veteran roster, with…17 juniors and seniors, will just make us a little bit smarter in our preparation each day. I think they know what’s expected of a player inside the locker room with us and inside the women’s soccer family, and we’re just trying to make sure that we prepare day by day,” head coach Jim Conlon said, “and if our juniors and seniors can lead us in the right direction, that will be helpful.”

Senior co-captains Brown and midfielder Lee Ann Felder will be major contributors to the Bears’ success. The two combined for nine goals and 25 points last season, both earning all-conference first team honors. Brown is tied for 10th in program history with 21 career goals.

“Emma Brown and Lee Ann Felder are going to be two [seniors] that we expect to lead us and set the tone for other players on the field from day-to-day habits to in-game management to making sure our team is doing the right thing at the right moments,” Conlon said.

Despite Brown and Felder’s efforts, the offense rarely came together last season. Wash. U. was held scoreless eight times in 2010, but in four of the Bears’ eight total losses, the team allowed just one goal. The team allowed more than two goals in just one game all season.

“If you look at a lot of those games, we had opportunities at various times to score goals or maybe prevent a goal. I think if we all do what’s asked, and we give to the game plan and what we’re trying to do, it will turn out well for us and the results might change,” Conlon said.

Junior goalkeeper Clara Jaques believes the Bears’ will have a much more potent attack this season.

“Offensively, I think we’re looking really strong this year,” she said. “All three [Wash. U.] goalies are feeling even more challenged in practice than in years passed, and we’re very confident in our scoring ability, so we’re excited to see that and display it against opponents.”

Jaques, who posted 0.71 goals against average in 21 games last season, is ready to have another big year. Despite needing knee surgery last March for a torn meniscus, Jaques says that she feels “great” and is prepared for the start of the season.

In the University Athletic Association Preseason Conference Coaches Poll, Wash. U. was picked to finish third, behind No. 5 Emory University and defending conference champion No. 20 University of Chicago.

While the team’s conference schedule is expected to be tough, its non-conference schedule includes matchups with four other teams ranked in the NSCAA Top-25 preseason poll. However, the team insists that it is approaching the schedule game-by-game.

“We’re not looking towards weeks or months from now; we’re looking at our first opponent, trying to go day by day in our growing process and get ready for Missouri Baptist,” Conlon said.

The Bears will open the 2011 season against Missouri Baptist University at home on Thursday and will travel to Bloomington, Ill., this weekend to face Calvin College and Whitworth University.

“[We need to] focus our excited energy into good soccer, the best soccer we can play, and play to our potential. If we can play to our potential, then we’re pretty confident in our chances against pretty much anyone,” Jaques said.

Kickoff against Missouri Baptist is at 7:30 p.m. on Francis Field.

Nathaniel Margolies | Student Life

Freshman Jessica Johnson strikes the ball on Nov. 6 against the University of Chicago.

On Monday, the team received its fifth consecutive Division III NCAA Tournament bid and will face Allegheny College in the first round of play on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

“I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people,” junior co-captain Emma Brown said.

When members of the team woke up early Monday morning for what was supposed to be an 8 a.m. NCAA Tournament selection show, they were prepared for the worst news. Instead, the team received no news and more uncertainty.

At the Athletic Complex (AC), the Bears learned the selection show was canceled and that a bracket would be posted online at 9 a.m. The bracket, bearing good news, finally appeared on the NCAA website at around 9:30 a.m. and was greeted by faces of disbelief and shock in the lobby of the AC. The momentary pause was broken by hugs all around as the team rushed the big screen TV to pore over the rest of the bracket.

According to Brown, the delay was to be expected and it didn’t make much of a difference. “It made it more climatic in the end,” she said.

In this year’s tournament, a UAA conference-record five teams received bids, including UAA champion University of Chicago, Emory University, the University of Rochester and Brandeis University.

“It reinforces that we play in one of the strongest conferences,” senior and captain Julie Tembunkiart said. Wash. U. was a co-champion or outright winner of the UAA title from 2006-2009, but finished in a tie for fourth this season.

The other two teams in the Bears’ opening round draw are Calvin College and host and No. 3 Otterbein College. Wash. U. defeated Calvin 1-0 on Sept. 3. The winners of the first round will meet on Saturday for a spot in the sectional semifinals. “As long as you do it one step at time, something special can happen,” head coach Jim Conlon said.

Wash. U. is making its fifth NCAA appearance in a row and its tenth overall and looking to follow on the success of last season, when the team made its second ever appearance in the Final Four.

“Anytime you have a junior/senior class that’s been in the NCAA tournament, they can help the younger players understand the environment they are getting into,” Conlon said.

The journey back to San Antonio will be difficult from the very beginning. Both Calvin and Allegheny received votes in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America top-25 poll while Otterbein is ranked third in the nation with an 18-0-1 record.

“I’m excited to be back as the underdog,” Tembunkiart said. “That’s what drove us through Wheaton last year, coming into the game knowing we had to fight.”

The Lady Bears take their first steps in returning to the Final Four by facing Allegheny College in Westerville, Ohio on Friday, Nov. 12, at 1:30 p.m.

Matt Lee | Student Life

Senior Julie Tembunkiart fends off University of Chicago sophomore Bridgette Kragie this past Sunday in the Bear’s final game of the season. The Maroons won the contest 1-0.

Motivated by a must-win situation, the Bears came out from the starting whistle with a new fire.

“We knew that our season was on the line, so we gave everything we had,” sophomore goalkeeper Clara Jaques said.

The No. 21 Maroons scored in the 17th minute when, from 25 yards out, forward Sarah Loh ripped the ball from the top left corner of the box. The ball ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net.

Even though they were disheartened by the goal, the Bears continued to press the Maroons’ defense. Freshman Jessica Johnson nearly scored after junior captain Emma Brown played a through-ball to her, but the shot was saved.

The Bears’ best scoring opportunity of the first half came with 12 seconds left. Like Loh, Brown shot the ball from 25 yards out and also hit the underside of the crossbar. Her shot rebounded outward instead of into the goal.

“We played very well, very hard, put them under, had a lot of goal scoring opportunities,” head coach Jim Conlon said. “Unfortunately, the game didn’t treat us well.”

Wash. U. outshot Chicago 8-6 in the first half, but the Maroons had a 6-2 advantage in terms of shots on goal.

Entering the second half, the Bears picked up their intensity. “I thought the second half especially was the best half we have played all season,” junior Lee Ann Felder said. “I was really proud, and I just had fun playing.”

The Bears controlled play in the second half, out-shooting the Maroons 11-2.

“The sense of urgency was there,” Conlon said. “We matured late in the year, and they [the players] brought what was capable of Bears’ soccer.”

The Bears had numerous scoring opportunities from Brown, freshman Lauren Steimle, and senior captain Julie Tembunkiart. Brown took four shots in the second period, three on goal.

“Steimle, as always, was working like a crazy person,” Felder said. “Emma was going insane the whole game.”

Late in the game, Wash. U. nearly scored twice. Off a cross from Johnson, Tembunkiart shot the ball off the crossbar. Steimle corralled the rebound and ripped the ball toward the goal while Gormley was out of the net, but a Maroons defender came out of nowhere and headed the ball out of danger.

“I thought we were the better team today, and we just couldn’t put one in the back of the net,” Conlon said.

Despite the loss, the team members were very happy with how they played. “We put in a tremendous effort and left everything on the field,” Jaques said. “It’s upsetting that we didn’t get the win, but I don’t think we could have done anything different.”

“Every single person came out and did what was needed,” Conlon said. “There wasn’t one standout, everyone played fabulous.”

Before the game, the team honored its lone senior Tembunkiart in her last regular season game. During her four years at Wash. U., Tembunkiart played in 68 games, making 37 starts and collecting 16 career points.

The NCAA Division III women’s soccer selection show will be streamed live on www.ncaa.com on Monday, Nov. 8 at 8 a.m. The Bears are eligible for an at-large bid.