(Elaheh Khazi | Student Life)

“[I am really] happy for the players [for winning the past two games]. It is difficult to stay confident knowing you have been the better team in many areas [of] each game but not performing in the key moments that decide the game,” said men’s soccer head coach, Joseph Clarke, after his team logged two crucial wins on the road.

As Clarke mentioned, the WashU men’s soccer team has had a rocky, unprecedented start to the UAA conference this season. This past weekend, however, the WashU reversed their losing streak, winning both games against UAA rivals by a decisive margin. 

The Bears fought their way to be victorious in both away games against Carnegie Mellon University on Friday, October 20. They then went on to beat Case Western Reserve University this Sunday to collect their first win against the Spartans since 2021. With these wins, the team’s record has jumped to .500, with an overall 6-6-1 record and a 2-3-1 record for the UAA conference. 

“[We aim] to continue to improve and strive toward being a complete team no matter the opponent [for the rest of the season and the upcoming games for the UAA conference],” Coach Clarke said. 

WashU vs. CMU 

On Friday, October 20, the WashU men’s soccer team achieved a much-needed victory against the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans (7-4-3) in their fourth game of the UAA tournament. Though the game was not on home turf, the WashU Bears fought hard for their first win of the UAA season, breaking their losing streak. 

Right from the game’s opening minute, the Bears’ dominance shone through as they played with unwavering zeal and confidence, undeterred by the challenging rainy and windy conditions. Throughout the match, the Bears outshot the Tartans by a commanding 13-7. The first half, however, remained uneventful between the Bears and Tartans as neither team was able to score. After the first half of the game ended, WashU had secured five on-goal shots. In contrast, the Tartans had not achieved any due to the Bears’ magnificent backline defensive display.

After the whistle sounded to mark the beginning of the match’s second half, WashU almost scored in the 62nd minute as Daniels attempted a close shot that went slightly to the right of the goal. Nevertheless, in the 75th minute, Culver’s free kick attempt went in, and the match’s first goal was scored. Four minutes later, Culver achieved yet another impressive goal, even though it was a long shot. The Bears ended the game strong as junior Eugene Heger assisted junior Joseph Hipskin in scoring WashU’s third goal of the game in the last minute, finalizing the score of 3-0.

“After a big win like this, it’s important to keep the momentum going as we push into the last couple of games in the conference [and the season] and build on these results,” Culver relayed. 

WashU vs. CWRU 

This past Sunday, October 22, the WashU men’s soccer team battled Case Western Reserve University (7-3-3) at their fifth UAA game. Here, the Bears looked to continue winning ways as to build on to their impressive win over Carnegie Mellon.  

During the first half of the match, the Spartans showcased a formidable offensive prowess, consistently outshooting the Bears. However, thanks to the remarkable performance of freshman goalie Cal L’Hommedieu, the Bears were able to maintain a level score. L’Hommedieu’s stellar performance earned him his inaugural collegiate full-game shutout. 

Complementing this strong defensive effort, the Bears also intensified their offensive play. Senior Owen Culver was instrumental in initiating three of WashU’s shots, while graduate student Christopher Alwang contributed the remaining shot for WashU. In the 34th minute of the game, Culver delivered a shot on goal to the top right corner of the goal, beating the goalie to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. 

After halftime came to an end, the second half was controlled by the Spartans’ effort to score a goal. However, due to L’Hommedieu and the Bears’ defensive front, WashU managed to retain their 1-0 scoreline for the victory. 

“It was a great weekend. We always knew that we could play with any team in the country, and it was only a matter of time until some of these performances turned into results. I’m proud of how resilient we’ve been and the mentality we had coming into this weekend,” Culver said. 

With the two wins, the Bears jumped from last place in the UAA to fourth place. Though the conference title has already been clinched by Emory, the Bears will look to continue to rise up the UAA ranks in hopes of earning a spot in the NCAA tournament at the end of the season. They will continue their UAA campaign on Sunday, October 29 against the University of Rochester.  

The WashU Bears are set to play their final three matches of the season at home, with the next match being against Greenville University on Wednesday, October 25, at 7:30 p.m. at Francis Olympic Field.