Scott BresslerIn a somewhat lackluster season finale, the Washington University men’s soccer team left the University of Chicago with a scoreless tie to conclude regular-season play.
More importantly, salvaging a tie against the Maroons almost positively assures the Bears that they will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Pairings are to be announced this morning on NCAAsports.com.
The Red and Green took a conservative approach to the game even before the match began. Coach Joe Clark elected to sit captain and senior Onyi Okoroafor. The center back received four yellow cards entering the match and a fifth would have mandated that he sit out a first-round tournament game, should the Bears be selected. Fellow captain Elie Zenner was taken out of the game at the culmination of first-half play.
In the second overtime period, the Bears held a one-man advantage for the final two minutes as Maroon Andrew Hamilton received a red card for dissent. Teammate Alex Clifford was also ejected with 55 seconds to play for the same reason.
Sophomore goalkeeper John Smelcer recorded the 14th shutout of his career in the draw. Leading scorer Harry Beddo led the team with three shots.
Wash. U. concluded the regular season with a 13-4-2 record and finished third in the UAA at 4-1-2. Rochester, who the Bears played to a 1-1 draw last weekend on Francis Field, won the league title, while Emory finished second.
Wash. U. is currently ranked 20th in a prominent national poll and has been deemed the second-best squad in its region by the NCAA. Zenner conjectured that the Bears have “upwards of a 90 percent chance” at getting into the tourney. Playoff action would begin next weekend.
Last year Wash. U. hosted first-round regional action. The Bears lost in devastating fashion on a late-game penalty kick by Wheaton College.
Check www.studlife.com tomorrow morning to find out if the men’s team qualified for the tournament and (assuming they get in) where they will be playing come next weekend.