Box Score Chicago, Ill., November 13, 2021 – The No. 3 Washington University in St. Louis men's soccer team defeated Wisconsin-Superior 1-0 in Saturday's NCAA first round matchup in Chicago on the campus of North Park University.
With the win, the Bears collect their first NCAA postseason victory since 2015 and earn their sixth consecutive shutout, marking nearly 600 minutes of game time without giving up a goal. Statistically, WashU has now outscored its opponents by a 29-6 margin as they also ended Yellowjackets 11-game streak of at least one goal scored. UWS entered Saturday's game with the top scoring offense in NCAA DIII, averaging 4.59 goals per game.
Owen Culver logged his eighth goal of the season and scored the game-winning goal with 15 minutes remaining. Culver entered the game at 74:08, and 38 seconds later he put the Bears on top with a spectacular goal. The St. Louis native scored on an unassisted step-back shot from 20-yards out that landed in the lower left corner of the net.
The Bears' defense continues to be a key catalyst to their success as WashU is currently fourth in the nation in team goals against average. WU had another great outing defensively, limiting UW-Superior to just one shot-on-goal. The Yellowjackets had four shots in the second half as they tried to apply pressure on the Bears, but WashU had an answer every time.
Goalkeeper Matt Martin helped guide the Bears to their 12th shutout this season. Martin's impressive play has him currently ranked eighth in the nation in goals against average this season.
WashU gathered momentum and set the tone of the game in the opening half with great spacing as they controlled the possession of the ball with strong passing and an organized attack.
The Bears had many chances early and often, posting 19 shots in total. In the first half of action alone, the Bears outshot UWS by a favorable margin of 13-2, including the final 12 shot attempts in the first half.
Sergio Rivas registered six shots in the win, a team-high. Nolan Wolf posted three shots and Shiv Lamba added two.
WashU sits at 13-2-1 heading into tomorrow's second round contest as they will matchup with a familiar opponent in North Park. Earlier this season, WashU defeated NPU 3-2 at Francis Olympic Field. Sunday's contest is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.
