Senior Zach Susee recorded an assist in the Bears’ win against Carnegie Mellon. (Ben Ganz | Contributing Photographer)

In any sport, to be the best, you have to beat the best. This season, the WashU men’s soccer team has been perfect against their ranked opponents. 

A lot has seemingly gone the Bears’ way this season. After winning only eight games last season, the Bears entered the weekend on a 10-game winning streak, undefeated in conference play. Despite a streak-snapping loss against the University of Rochester on Oct. 24, the Bears delivered a massive win on the road against No. 4 Emory University on Oct. 26. 

Despite their loss to Rochester, the win over Emory was enough to catapult the Bears to No. 2 in the country in the United Soccer Coaches poll — their highest ranking in program history.

Going into the weekend, junior goalie Cal L’Hommedieu and the rest of the team knew that their success wasn’t something they should take for granted.

“We’re obviously happy with the way the season has gone so far, but we haven’t won any [titles]  yet,” L’Hommedieu wrote in a statement to Student Life. “We’re focused on staying in the present moment and competing for each game individually and making the best out of whatever opportunity comes our way.” 

After a strong 10-game winning streak, the WashU men’s soccer looked flustered in a 3-2 loss to Rochester on Oct. 24. 

As WashU has done best this season, the offense started strong. After three close misses in the opening minutes, junior Ethan Wirtschafter notched a rebound goal off the right post in the 12th minute. Wirtschafter now ranks fourth in goals scored across Division III, and senior Zach Susee notched his eighth assist of the season, putting him second in the University Athletic Association (UAA) for assists. This was the Bears’ first goal against Rochester since 2021, ending a four-year drought. 

However, it only took the Yellowjackets until the 24th minute to break through and tie the game at 1-1. Just a few minutes later, first-year Miles Newman found first-year Daniel Kochen open for an easy tap-in, allowing the Bears to reclaim the lead. Right before halftime, senior Tyler Allred nearly scored, but a great save thwarted his efforts.

Without junior defender Quentin Gomez and limited minutes from junior defender Nik Avillo, the Yellowjackets completely took over in the second half, ending the game with 21 shots compared to WashU’s 12. Despite the three goals, L’Hommedieu still recorded eight saves in the game. Right away, Rochester capitalized on a corner kick, scoring off a deflection and catching WashU’s defense off guard. The relentless pressure continued, leading to seven Rochester shots, and eventually leading to another goal to take their first lead of the game. A last-ditch attempt from Wirtschafter was blocked, giving Rochester a 3-2 victory. The loss ended WashU’s 10-game win streak as well as their shutout streak dating back to Sept. 27. 

When asked about the quick turnaround, head coach Andrew Bordelon said, “We talk a lot every day about the next action, next moment. And ultimately, when you have a game that’s so close after a Friday night, you don’t have time to dwell on it. So the guys did an excellent job of turning that page.”

WashU did just that, as Bordelon’s squad knew how crucial a game this was for the UAA rankings. It only took Kochen 25 minutes to find the back of the net off a corner, his sixth goal in the Bears’ last seven contests, putting them up 1-0 early. WashU continued their persistent attack, tallying six shots and four corners in the half, playing with more intensity than in their previous game.

Emory started the second half attempting to match WashU’s energy. However, with Avillo and Gomez back in the lineup, the Bears’ defense was at full strength, making strong plays on the ball and anchoring the back line. This tenacity is something that Bordelon emphasizes and prides the WashU team on.

“We are one of the better teams in the country with winning first and second balls,” Bordelon  said. “I thought that we were unbelievable in our duels and showed a lot of composure afterwards to knock the ball around.”

Growing more agitated, Emory continued to bombard the Bears’ defense, taking continuous long throw-ins that led to six corners and nine shots in a span of 30 minutes. The Bears’ offense had opportunities to provide insurance, as Wirtschafter had a one-on-one with the goalie in open space, yet was unable to capitalize. For the final stretch of the game, WashU faced a barrage of shots from the Eagles, desperately trying to tie the game. 

“The end of the game is always tense, especially in UAA games,” L’Hommedieu wrote. “There are usually one to two big moments I know I have to be ready for. My focus is always on what I can control and not trying to overplay or force anything to happen.”

After some crucial defense in the final ten minutes, the Bears handed Emory their first loss of the season, keeping WashU atop the rest of the conference. 

“Emory is a really good team,” Bordelon said. “They tested us on many occasions, particularly in the second half, but our boys rose to the occasion.”

The 1-0 victory puts WashU back in the win column and marks their fifth shutout of the year, especially impressive against a high-level Emory offense. The Bears aim to continue their regular-season success against two more conference opponents, New York University and the No. 7 the University of Chicago, both at Francis Field. The matchup against Chicago on Nov. 8 will determine the UAA conference champion. With just two more games left, the Bears can achieve their 10th conference championship in program history and their first since 2021.