Margaret BauerThis past week proved to be a test for the sixth-ranked Washington University women’s soccer team. Suffering their first loss to Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) this past Tuesday in Bloomington, Ill. 2-1, the Bears demonstrated their ability to bounce back from a defeat by routing Blackburn College 11-0 Friday afternoon.
The loss Tuesday snapped the Bears’ six-game winning streak, the sixth longest in school history. Despite outshooting IWU 23-6, the Bears could not capitalize on their offensive production as the IWU defense and goalkeeping held them off.
The Bears outshot the Titans 9-3 in the first half and 14-3 in the second half, but the Titans made it on the board first by a pivotal mistake in the backfield in the second half. Senior back Stephanie Ackerman and senior goalkeeper Charlotte Felber misjudged a ball in the box, allowing Katie Kelly of IWU to sneak past the two to put the Titans up 1-0. Kelly knocked another one in during the 70th minute as she slipped one past Felber, giving the Titans the 2-0 lead and eventual game-winner.
Hope resided in the Bears as a prime scoring opportunity came when sophomore Meghan Marie Fowler-Finn got a penalty kick due to an IWU defender handball in the box in the 75th minute. IWU goalkeeper Emily Castner stopped Fowler-Finn’s penalty kick to the right to hold on to the lead. The Bears could not recover from this blow and it wasn’t until 38 seconds left in the game that the Bears were able to avoid being shutout. Fowler-Finn scored on an assist from freshman Breta Kennedy for her eighth goal of the season and 18th of her career. With the goal, Fowler-Finn moved into a tie for seventh place on the all-time goals scored list.
Despite the loss, the 4-0-1 Titans were only able to get two shots off on goal, which sadly were the two ones that got past Felber.
Putting their first loss of the season behind them was obviously not an issue for the Bears, however, as they traveled to Carlinville, Ill. on Friday to take on Blackburn College. The star of the game was undoubtedly Freshman Katie Campos, who set records in only her seventh collegiate game. Campos set a school-record with five assists as well as putting in two goals of her own in the upending of Blackburn. Campos broke the previous assists record of four, which was held by current WU assistant coach Lori (Thomas) Khazen since 1997.
Campos registered the first goal and eventual game-winning tally at the 25:46 mark; junior Jesse Munger crossed it to a slashing Campos, who flicked it with her back heel past Blackburn goalkeeper Katelyn Nonn.
Campos then assisted on the Bears next two goals. She set up sophomore Maila Labadie, who netted one in the upper left corner from 20 yards out at the 27:15 mark. The goal would be the first of three for Labadie on the day. Less than four minutes later, Campos pushed the ball ahead to freshman Abbey Hartman, who worked past a defender to the left of the goal box. Nonn came out to challenge, but it was too late as Hartman juked Nonn out, dribbled around her and tapped it into the back of the net.
Continuing the rout, freshman Kim O’Keefe took a pass from Campos to the left side of the box and touched it to cutting sophomore Sara Schroeder, who beat Nonn to the far post. Two minutes later, Schroeder netted another goal on assists by senior Lindsey Ulkus and Campos. The two goals marked Schroeder’s second and third of the season.
The Bears would not go easy on Blackburn as sophomore Talia Bucci registered a goal from more than 20 yards out later on, as Campos recorded her school-record fifth assist. Ulkus then returned the favor and assisted Campos, who scored her second goal at the 56:10 mark for a 7-0 lead. Sophomore Kristin Irmiter added another goal on an assist by Labadie with 12 minutes to play. Labadie then went on to tally her third goal of the game at the 83:37 mark to round out the scoring.
ÿThe Bears dominated play from the start and didn’t let the Beavers get off one single shot as they outshot them an astounding 54-0. WU also held a 12-0 edge in corner kicks. Senior Charlotte Felber picked up the win in goal. In as a field player late in the second half, Felber also scored, her first on the season, with the one shot she got on goal.
The Bears’ 11 goals were the most in a single game since Sept. 4, 1999, when they shut out Anderson 12-0. WU’s eight second-half goals were a school record, and its 12 assists tied a school mark.
The 7-1-0 Bears will try to continue their success against Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday, Oct. 3, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. the game holds to be the first University Athletic Association (UAA) game the Bears will play this season. It will be the first of five.