Winter is coming, and while the thought of relaxing at home for the holidays may pacify some students, the Washington University women’s soccer team must stay sharp for its final week of tournament action. On Friday, the Bears will square off in the city of fountains against No. 1 Messiah College (22-0-2) with a chance to advance to the finals the next day.

Should the Bears manage to skirt past the Falcons, the Red and Green will face the winner of No. 6 Williams College (19-1-2) vs. No. 9 Centre College (21-1-1) for the national title the next day. With an average goal differential of 65-8, there are no weak teams in this final weekend.

Here is everything you need to know before these titans of Division III soccer clash:

The road to Kansas City

Playing host for the sectional round of the tournament, the Bears squeaked past No. 22 Wartburg College in the round of 16 on the strength of a late goal by sophomore Megan Renken in the 86th minute. Then in the Elite Eight, Wash. U. again earned the close victory, topping the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 1-0. The Warhawks provided their own killing blow, conceding an own goal on a failed clear from a defender. Despite the close score, the Bears did dominate Whitewater, limiting their opponents to four shots while rattling off 24 of their own.

A formidable opponent

It is no secret at this point that the Falcons have been the most dominant team in Division III women’s soccer this year.

Boasting a 100-3 goal differential and a lead scorer, senior Nikki Elsaesser, who individually owns more goals than 228 other teams in the league, the Bears will also have to keep an eye on the three other double-digit scorers on the roster. Then again, all the defense in the world will not guarantee victory if the Red and Green are unable to score against the team with the best goals-against-average in the division.

This level of success is nothing new for Messiah, which has won the national title five times in the past decade.

Against the Falcons, the Bears will also have a chance for some historical retribution. In 2009, the last time the Bears made it to the final weekend, the Falcons topped the Bears in the championship round 1-0.

Skyler Kessler | Student Life

Senior Anna Sippel celebrates with the rest of her team after the Bears won their Nov. 22 game against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in NCAA quarterfinal play. With the win, Wash. U. reached the Final Four for the first time since 2009, when the Bears fell to Messiah College, their semifinal opponent this weekend, 1-0 in the championship game.

“Offense wins games, but defense wins championships”

Oct. 18 was the last time the Red and Green gave up a goal. Since then, the Bears have pitched eight shutouts, four against ranked opponents. With a hotly contested match against one of the division’s best offenses, the Bears’ defense will be especially crucial.

Junior goalkeeper Lizzy Crist’s 11 shutouts this season are tied for most in a single season in Bears’ history. Along with a defense anchored by senior Sam Ezratty, the Red and Green own the seventh-best goals-against-average in the division.

The old maxim that “offense wins games, but defense wins championships” may ring very true this weekend if the Bears keep up the pressure.

Keys to victory: Lillegraven and Chandler

After senior Olivia Lillegraven gave her best impression of a one-woman wrecking crew, the tail end of this season has seen the Bears’ offense morph into a two-headed monster featuring her and junior Katie Chandler. Lillegraven leads the team in goals this season with 12, and while she did not score in the sectional round, several of her 30-yard boots hit the crossbar. After a slow start to the season, Chandler has heated up, scoring four times in the past seven games. Of her seven goals total this season, five have been game-winners. Couple that with the flick pass that set up Renken’s decisive goal against Wartburg, it’s easy to see why Chandler has earned a clutch reputation this season.