Sophomore Sebastian Valdes dribbles the ball passed Rhodes
defender. (Alex Dering | Photo Editor)

After two games away in Chicago last weekend, the men’s soccer team returned home to play two tight matches against Hanover College and Rhodes College. The Bears kicked off the weekend with a win against Hanover on Friday, Sept. 11, and ended with a last-minute tie on Sunday, Sept. 13, against Rhodes. 

The Bears have given up the opening goal in all but one of their first five games. Despite these setbacks, they have continuously regrouped and come back to tie or win those games. They hope to fine-tune their offensive and defensive execution with the upcoming home game against DePauw University on Saturday, Sept. 19. 

Despite some early-season injuries, with absences in the midfield and senior defender Quentin Gomez’s second-half exit on Sunday, the Bears’ undefeated record so far can be credited to a strong teamwide effort.

WashU vs. Hanover College: 2-1 win

The Bears started their game against Hanover College strongly with consistent possession against a compact Panther formation. Despite their strong offense, the game’s first goal came from Hanover in the 30th minute. This did not deter the offense, though, with sophomore defender Wole Adeoye’s goal off of a long ball assist from team captain Gomez coming less than two minutes later to even the score. 

The team’s second goal from senior forward Ethan Wirtschafter was precise, hitting the top left corner — making it impossible for the goalkeeper to save. After this goal in the 51st minute, the Bears controlled the tempo until the final whistle.

Fighting back from an early deficit is nothing new for the team, with the only exception being their opener against Millikin University two weeks ago. Head Coach Andrew Bordelon acknowledged the resilience his team has shown. 

“It’s always just keeping your head,” Bordelon said. “I think this team’s done a good job of not getting rattled, despite going down in a few matches.”

This composure seems to be a result of the connection between classes that this year’s team has already developed. The chemistry is apparent in these particular goals, with assists by Gomez and first-year midfielder Nick Lam. The two senior-underclassmen pairings are representative of the team being put out on the field this season. 

“I think we’ve got a really good balance of classes,” Bordelon said. “Our guys have integrated the newcomers really well. We’ve really shown the next man up mentality, and the next person who comes in has really contributed really well.”

The game ended in a 2-1 win for the Bears, adding to their undefeated record. 

WashU vs. Rhodes College: 2-2 tie

WashU’s momentum coming off of Friday’s win was high, but the Rhodes College Lynx proved to be more formidable than expected. Their immediately aggressive style of play put the Bears on their heels.

“We were all just very sloppy. Everybody, I don’t know why — it just wasn’t our best game,” Wirtschafter said. “This is a team we should definitely be beating.”

The Lynx played an incredibly physical game from the first whistle. Six of the game’s eight yellow cards, as well as the only red card, were handed to Rhodes players. This physicality seemed to stun WashU’s offense, which failed to complete any of its attacks despite generating several corner and free kick opportunities. But instead of getting flustered, the Bears took time at the half to remind themselves to keep pushing.

“We tend to stay calm in those situations,” senior midfielder Colin Link said. “We know that we’re a pretty possession-based team, and sometimes it may go our way, sometimes it might not.”

However, the second half did not provide immediate relief for the Bears, as within the first seven minutes, Gomez had to leave the game due to injury. Gomez was last week’s University Athletic Association (UAA) Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week. With the loss of a strong leader on the field, the Bears had to adapt quickly.

“Yeah, it’s tough to lose Q [Gomez]. He’s incredible back there,” Link said. “[But] we have guys that know when to step up, and everyone did today.”

And that they did. After going down 2-0 with under nine minutes left in the game, the Bears were able to squeak out a tying score. Wirtschafter scored their first goal on a strong penalty kick, and Link — after missing a penalty shot opportunity in the first half — tied up the match on a free kick less than four minutes later.

“It’s obviously kind of tough after missing a pen [penalty kick], but we’ve had the mentality this season that you just have to keep going,” Link said. “As a senior, you feel like you got to lead the rest of these guys. Although it’s easy, everyone always brings a spirit, so we never feel like we’re behind, even if we’re down on the scoreboard.”

The game concluded with a 2-2 tie. Yellow and red cards against Rhodes flew well after the final whistle, as the Lynx carried their ferocity into their post-game vernacular. However, this match demonstrated WashU’s grit and emphasized its need to capitalize on opportunities early on. 

In preparation for their UAA conference debut in just two weeks, it is vital that the Bears come ready to play out of the gate.

“Coach Bordelon schedules these tough games early on so we can get prepared,” Link said.

This weekend, the Bears will face DePauw University at home on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. This game will also be the team’s Senior Day.