Dan DaranciangComing off an impressive 4-0 drubbing of Illinois Wesleyan University this past week, the Washington University men’s soccer team entered this weekend’s games with a boost in confidence. The victory over Illinois Wesleyan saw the offensive emergence of two seniors, Nick Kalscheur and John Horky, who contributed two goals and two assists, respectively. Junior goalkeeper Matt Fenn picked up his fourth consecutive shutout as head coach Joe Clarke notched his milestone 300th victory in what has been a very successful career at the university.
With a dominant offensive performance under their belt, the Bears went into Oshkosh, Wisc., expecting stiffer competition. Their first match-up came against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a traditionally strong team that has graced the national top-25 rankings frequently in past years.
Despite considerable offensive pressure from UW-Oshkosh, the Bears managed to keep the game scoreless going into overtime. Outshot 10-8 in regulation, and having conceded seven corner kicks, the Bears’ defense remained strong as the squad looked for a bit of offensive inspiration during the ensuing sudden death overtime periods.
The Bears got three shots off on goal during the first overtime, but it wasn’t until sophomore forward Marshall Plow struck with only 28 seconds left to give his team a dramatic victory. Sophomore midfielder Elie Zenner was able to receive a throw-in and whip in a cross that found Plow in the box. Having scored twice on the season going into the UW-Oshkosh game, Plow’s goal moved him to the top of the team’s scoring charts, with three, as the Bears celebrated their fifth victory of the season. The win extended Clarke’s squad’s unbeaten streak to nine, extending back to last season, while also extending Fenn’s shutout streak to five straight games.
The next day the Bears faced another tough task as they took on St. Norbert College, a team that had only recently dropped out of the national rankings. Once again, the Bears turned in a solid overall effort in the first half, firing six shots to St. Norbert’s seven. Unfortunately, St. Norbert was able to strike early as they gained a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, a lead they would not relinquish. St. Norbert kept up the pressure in the second half, outshooting the Bears 6-2 and keeping a clean score sheet. The Bears did not receive any standout performances on offenses, as no player had more than one shot throughout the entire match.
Having suffered their first loss of the season, and dropping their overall record to 5-1-3, the Bears remain optimistic after a pair of respectable showings against tough competition. The team begins University Athletic Association (UAA) play this coming Saturday against highly-touted Emory University. Emory is currently ranked 10th in the nation, with a flawless 6-0-0 record on the year.
However, the Bears have never been a team to shy away from quality competition, especially their bitter conference rivals. Look for Horky and Zenner, among others, to provide the team with much-needed emotional leadership ass they go into a difficult yet winnable match.