First-year Wole Adeoye drives past an NYU defender. (Ben Ganz | Contributing Photographer)

Normally, most people think of the challenges associated with being the “underdog” of a match while not considering the other side: the pressure of being “supposed” to win. It was this stress that got the best of No. 12 WashU, as the underdog, New York University (NYU), upset the Bears 1-0 on Nov. 1.

This season has been one of WashU’s strongest in recent history with the Bears finding themselves as high as No. 2 in the national rankings on Oct. 28. WashU still maintains a slim lead over the rest of the University Athletic Association (UAA) with a 4-2 conference record. Although recently, the Bears have had their mix of ups and downs as they have lost two of their last three games. 

Going into the match against NYU, WashU had the momentum, taking down No. 6 Emory University on the road on Oct. 26 and with NYU sitting in last place of the UAA.

After kickoff, the Bears’ offense got to work, attacking the left side of the Violets’ defense. Despite controlling the ball, WashU struggled to find an open shot, which ended up being the theme for the rest of the game. Although the Violets were mainly focused on their defensive play, they had counterattacks, quickly getting down to the other side of the field. In the 19th minute, this caught the Bears’ defense off guard as a NYU through ball found the Violets’ midfielder, senior Terra Nagai, who beat the Bears’ junior goalkeeper Cal L’Hommedieu to the right side of the net. After going down 1-0, WashU continued maintaining possession of the ball and tried to respond with three shots, all of which were easily saved by the Violets’ goalie. NYU kept all their players back to stop any WashU scoring opportunities to hold onto their lead. This forced the Bears’ offense out to the wings where they struggled to have a successful cross into the box. 

“We couldn’t really find that last pass to break them down or space to get a shot off,” senior midfielder Zach Susee said. “That makes all the difference in these games.”

WashU started the second half with a one goal deficit and 45 minutes left to find the back of the net. The offense had a newfound energy level with first-year Wole Adeoye quickly firing a shot that barely missed the goal. The clock continued to tick and the Bears were still struggling to find quality openings in the NYU defense.

“We got to take care of the ball a little bit more in some of the possession moments,” head coach Andrew Bordelon said. “I think we lost some balls uncharacteristically, but that happens.”

Despite lacking in time of possession, NYU managed to shoot six shots in the second half, three of which forced L’Hommedieu to make key saves while the others were blocked or missed the net. Even with substitutions for attacking players like Adeoye, junior Yash Kshirsagar and senior Tyler Allred, the Bears continued to get stopped by the Violets’ back line. In the final 10 minutes, NYU stayed back on defense to avoid WashU tying the game. Nearing the end of the match, the Bears got more desperate for a goal or even just a shot. Unable to capitalize on a corner kick in the 89th minute, the Bears fell 1-0 to NYU. This was the first game that WashU’s offense has been shutout this year, only recording five shots in the match despite their continued pressure. Even after the outcome of the game, Bordelon remained confident in his team going forward for the rest of the regular season and into the postseason.

“The guys are awesome, their consistent effort all the time,” Bordelon said. “The performance wasn’t good enough in possession but it’s still something we can correct and are looking forward to [University of] Chicago.”

The Bears’ final regular season matchup is significant as they take on No. 7 University of Chicago, at home on Nov. 8 in a game that will decide the UAA championship. This season, WashU has thrived against ranked opponents, being 3-0 in these types of games. Another win would also set the Bears up well for the postseason and to become UAA champions for the 10th time in program history, putting some pressure on the team to rebound from this unexpected loss.

“I think we’ll have a little extra chip on our shoulder and make the game next week a must-win,” Susee said.