The weather is colder and the days are shorter, but the Washington University women’s soccer team does not seem to be slowing down. In the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III tournament in Granville, Ohio, the Bears took down York College 4-0 on Saturday afternoon, and then followed up with a 1-0 victory against Denison University on Sunday.

The opening win against York was a reminder to the rest of the tournament field that the Bear’s offense is still lethal, despite posting low numbers in the past few games. Senior forward Olivia Lillegraven sparked the offense with a laser from 40 yards out in the 17th minute, the 31st of her career.

Skyler Kessler | Student Life

Freshman Darcy Cunningham attempts to gain control of the ball during the Bears’ Oct. 30 game against Carnegie Mellon. This weekend, the women’s soccer team defeated both York and Denison to advance to the NCAA Sectional Semifinal, which will take place on Nov. 21.

“It was great to get a goal in the playoffs, especially in such an incredible manner,” Lillegraven said. “We wanted to come out aggressive early, and that goal helped our mindset of continuing to push the ball up the field and take more chances.”

Junior Katie Chandler then made it 2-0 with a strike from 10 yards out in the 30th minute. Freshman Jessica Kovach lofted a pass over the defense for the assist. In the 50th minute, senior Anna Sippel knocked in a diving header off a cross from sophomore Megan Renken. Freshman Darcy Cunningham rounded out the scoring with an unassisted shot in the 68th minute.

The offense tallied a dominant 13 shots on goal versus only three from the Cardinals, putting pressure on the York defense throughout the game. But while the offense clicked, the defense was quietly shutting down any opportunities for York. The goalkeeping duo of junior Lizzie Crist and senior Amy French combined for three saves, posting the Bear’s 13th shutout of the season.

“Our defense definitely put us in a great position to get the victory,” head coach Jim Conlon said. “When our defense is playing well, it allows our offense to settle down and find more opportunities to score. This was a great team victory, with both our young players and seasoned veterans contributing. I’m pleased with the way we played, but we have another game tomorrow, so we have to make sure we are physically and mentally rested and prepared.”

On Sunday afternoon, the Red and Green only needed a goal from Chandler in the 24th minute to defeat Denison. This was the forward’s seventh goal of the season and third game-winner in five games.

The Bears defense meanwhile limited a Big Red squad that averaged 17.7 shots per game to a controllable nine shots, five on target.

“Our defense definitely kept us in this one, and it starts with [senior] Sam Ezratty and [junior] Megan Nicklay,” Conlon said. “They have allowed one goal in the past 10 games, and whether the offense is scoring a lot or a little, they are consistently showing up and performing well.”

With the shutout victory, the Bears’ defense has not allowed a goal in regulation in 12 games.

The Bears will now advance to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2013. Last season, Puget Sound University pulled the upset over Wash. U. in the first round.

Now that the team is back in the heart of the playoff race, Conlon knows his team must recuperate before next weekend’s round of matches.

“We are going to head back to St. Louis and rest and regroup,” Conlon said. “Especially since exam season is fast approaching, I want the team to be in a good place mentally. At an academically rigorous school like Washington University, it can be very difficult for a student-athlete, particularly at this time of the season, to manage all their schoolwork and studying. So hopefully by the next match we should be calm and composed to put in a strong performance.”

Wash. U. will host Wartburg College in the Round of 16. Wartburg advanced after beating Puget Sound in penalty kicks on Sunday. In their home opener this season, the Bears upended the Knights 2-1 thanks to a pair of goals from Lillegraven within a span of 48 seconds. If the Bears make it past Wartburg, they will face the victor of Illinois-Wesleyan University and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.