Margaret BauerThe typically solid backline of the Washington University men’s soccer team proved to be its own worst enemy against 18th-ranked Wheaton College this past Saturday.
After holding the Thunder scoreless through the first half despite giving up seven shots, the Bears conceded the game’s only goal just after the halftime break. Following a scramble in front of their goal, junior midfielder Seth Barkett was the last Wheaton player to touch the ball before Bears senior Jeff LaBoskey inadvertently touched the ball into his own team’s net.
This disappointing turn of events summed up the Bears’ frustration on the day as they struggled to mount legitimate scoring attacks against a stifling Thunder defense. Freshman forward Elie Zenner was the only Bears player to get off a shot on goal, while Coach Joe Clarke’s squad only managed to compile five total shots.
Wheaton, on the other hand, applied solid pressure to the Bears’ defense all day and managed to pile up a whopping 15 shots on the day. The Thunder also dominated the Bears in terms of winning corning kicks, reaching a total of nine to the Bears’ two. The game would end with a final score of 1-0, but statistics indicate that the margin could have been considerably greater.
Perhaps one of the lone bright spots for the Bears was the play of senior goalkeeper Colin Robinson, who made seven saves in the losing effort. Robinson, who had compiled an impressive seven shutouts in the previous 14 days, looked to be in top form but fell victim to a crucial defending gaffe on the part of the Bears.
Apparently unfazed by the loss at Wheaton, Robinson came out strong during the Bears’ Sunday match against Dominican University. Stopping two shots, Robinson notched his eighth shutout of the season and was able to move his incredibly low goals against average to 0.53. Dominican, a tough opponent that has been ranked in the national top 25 on several occasions this season, could get nothing going against Robinson and the Bears defenders.
Dominican also had no answer for standout freshman forward Onyi Okoroafor, who scored the game’s lone goal in the 10th minute. Okoroafor received a pinpoint cross from speedy junior midfielder Andrew Franklin that he was able to redirect into the net with a header. The strike was Okoroafor’s second goal of the year. These tallies, combined with his four assists, are enough to place Okoroafor in the second position as the team’s leading scorer.
The Bears also got considerable offensive contributions from their substitutes, particularly senior midfielder Allen Gleckner and sophomore transfer Will Cockle. Gleckner and Cockle combined for four of the Bears’ ten shots on the day coming off the bench.
Joe Clarke’s team is back in conference action this weekend as they travel to New York to take on the 18th-ranked University of Rochester, who moved ahead of Wheaton College in this week’s national rankings. Despite their superior ranking, Rochester currently sits below the Bears in the University Athletic Association (UAA) rankings, with six points compared to the Bears’ seven. A win for the Bears against Rochester would help them gain valuable ground in the UAA, where they sit in third place, a mere one point behind leaders Emory University and the University of Chicago.
After facing Rochester on Friday, the Bears will travel to Cleveland to face cellar-dwelling Case Western Reserve University. If they take care of business against Case Western as they are expected to, they should have a legitimate shot at the UAA crown if Emory or Chicago slips up in the least. As of now, the Bears control their own conference destiny and will need a strong weekend of play to achieve their ultimate goal of an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.