Don’t let the weather fool you. The temperature is still hovering in the 60s, but the lack of a St. Louis autumn belies the impending close of the fall sports season.

The Washington University soccer teams have just two weekends left to fight for the University Athletic Association crown and make their respective cases for the tournament selection committees, and this late in the season, every win, goal and shutout speaks volumes about a team’s postseason chances.

Over the last month, the Wash. U. women have solidified their defense and keep climbing the national rankings, while the men, despite boasting two impressive road victories over top-10 opponents, need to keep winning to stay in the projected tournament field.

Each team wraps up its home schedule this weekend. Let the games begin.

Holly Ravazollo | Student Life

Sophomore Mariana Alisio dribbles down the field during the Bears’ Sept. 20 4-0 victory over Illinois College. This weekend, the women’s soccer team takes on Carnegie Mellon and Case.

WOMEN

Francis Field’s weekend begins with a battle between the last two UAA champions when 2013 victor No. 6 Wash. U. hosts 2014 winner No. 3 Carnegie Mellon University.

Expect a low-scoring affair between a pair of top-notch defenses: Carnegie (13-0-1 record, 4-0 UAA) has allowed just six goals in 14 games, while Wash. U. (13-2, 3-1) isn’t far behind with seven goals allowed in 15 contests.

Carnegie has posted four shutouts in as many conference games, but the Tartans haven’t been as dominant as their undefeated record suggests: They needed double overtime to beat both New York and Emory Universities, who have a combined 1-6-1 conference record.

Wash. U., meanwhile, has allowed just one goal this month, and a heavy dose of senior forward Olivia Lillegraven, who leads the UAA in goals and points, could help Wash. U. crack Carnegie’s stout defensive shield.

Recent history is on the Bears’ side. In a similarly staged game between these teams a year ago, a second-ranked Wash. U. squad beat the fourth-ranked Tartans in Pittsburgh to hand Carnegie its first loss of the year. Overall, Wash. U. has defeated Carnegie every year since 2005.

On Sunday, the Bears host an opponent that looks easier on paper—Case Western Reserve University started the season with just one loss in its first nine games but has struggled since conference play began. The Spartans have yet to score a goal in four UAA contests and have scored just once in October.

But Case Western upset an undefeated Bears team last season, and behind senior goalie Megan Romelfanger, the Spartans have an opportunity to hold Wash. U.’s attack in check.

Freshman Camilo Haller breaks past Rochester defenders on Oct. 4, which the Bears tied 1-1. The men’s soccer team will play Carnegie Mellon and Case at home this weekend.

MEN

It’s anyone’s guess which team will win the UAA and its all-important automatic tournament berth—more than half the teams in the conference have just one UAA loss. No. 11 Wash. U. (10-2-3, 2-1-1) is one of those teams and will face two others this weekend.

First up is Carnegie (9-2-3, 1-1-2), which boasts the conference’s second-best goal-scoring offense this season. Unlike in the women’s match preceding this contest, expect some offensive fireworks from the men’s game: The conference’s top goal-scorer suits up for the Tartans, but their back line is vulnerable, having allowed multiple goals in three of five games this month.

Wash. U.’s offense might be up for the challenge: The Bears have blitzed their last three opponents to the tune of 11 goals in three shutout wins.

The only UAA offense better than Carnegie’s belongs to Case Western (12-2-1, 3-1) which scores nearly three goals per game and combines its attack with a defense tied with Wash. U. and Brandeis University for the fewest goals allowed (nine). This has been a change of pace for the Spartans, who have already surpassed their win totals from the last three seasons.

The Spartans have played two goalies this year, and their freshman keeper, Christian Grimme, pairs with Wash. U. junior Daniel Geanon as the conference’s top two goalies in terms of save percentage.