After a long and exciting season, it’s nearly playoff time for the Washington University women’s soccer team. Before finding out who they will be facing in the postseason, the Bears rounded out their regular season this past Saturday in the Windy City. The Red and Green took on the No. 16 University of Chicago Maroons. Both teams, clearly equally matched on the day provided both sets of fans with one of the more exciting matchups of the season, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie after double overtime.

The match began as it would play out, as both teams put pressure on each other offensively. While the Wash. U. offense began to stretch the Chicago defense at times, Chicago battled back with great hold up play from their forwards, who then released dangerous counter attacks on the Red and Green’s end. After 28 minutes of parity, Chicago found the game’s opening goal. Nicole Kaspi chose a great time to score her first goal of the season for her team, as she calmly slotted the ball past Wash. U.’s Emma Greenfield after being released on a breakaway by her teammate, Bri Fadden. After putting the goal away, Chicago began tightening their grip on the game, putting the Bears under pressure they had not felt for much of the season. The first half closed with Chicago controlling the pace of the game, unleashing shot after shot on the Wash. U. goal. The score, however, remained 1-0.

Coming out of the locker room, the Red and Green looked to even the score, and quickly. The half began with the Bears absorbing continued pressure from the Chicago offense, as the Maroons desperately searched for the second goal that would surely finish off the game. Then, in the 57th minute, the Bears poached a goal against the run of play. After the ball got loose in the Chicago penalty area, sophomore Jess Shapiro pounced on it and slotted the ball past helpless Maroon keeper Miranda Malone with a predatory finish. With the game knotted up at one apiece, both sides continued to push for what promised to be a game-winning goal. However, after 90 minutes of end-to-end action, the game went into overtime to try and decide a winner.

While regulation was filled with chances for both teams, the two overtimes proved to be more of a stalemate. After a first period of overtime in which neither team could seem to find a clean look at the goal, the second period began, leaving both teams just ten more minutes to steal the spoils of victory. Perhaps Wash. U.’s best chance during the overtime period came in the 104th minute, when junior Katy Mockett unleashed a shot that forced an uncomfortable save for Maroon keeper Malone. However, neither team could find a winner, as the game ended at 1-1.

The Bears concluded the regular season with a 15-1-2 record. The Maroons finished 12-3-3. The Red and Green will find out who their first opponent in the NCAA tournament will be during the selection show today, Monday, Nov. 11. They will be looking to bring a championship back to St. Louis when they play their first matchup of the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 16th.