St. Louis, Mo. – The Washington University in St. Louis men's soccer team collected a 2-0 shutout victory at Francis Field on Tuesday against Illinois Wesleyan in non-conference play.
 
The Bears pick up their second win of the season and improve to 2-2 on the year, while IWU drops to 3-3-1. In addition, WashU has now won nine consecutive matches over Illinois Wesleyan, outscoring the Titans by a margin of 18-2. 
 
In the opening half, the Bears were aggressive right at the start. Owen Culver fired off a shot-on-goal in the first minute of play, followed by a good look in the third minute from Landon Green that landed just high.
 
Despite not being able to find the back of the net in the early going, the Bears' defense did their part to neutralize Illinois Wesleyan.
 
Illinois Wesleyan also had its opportunities in the first half as team shots were even at 5-5. The Titans had two shot attempts from inside the box, but goalkeeper Matt Martin was able to register a save on each shot, as both teams went into the half scoreless at 0-0.
 
With less than 30 minutes remaining in the second half, the Bears broke through the scoreless tie, as Gavin Morse netted his first goal of the season off a pass from Owen Culver in the 63rd minute. 
 
Morse caught up to the lead pass from Culver and maneuvered his way around the IWU defenders and goalkeeper who misplayed the ball, before a soft-rolling kick found its way into the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage after an IWU defender tried to make last-second save attempt. 
 
WashU put the finishing touches on the match with under 10 minutes to play after Ryan An delivered a cross into the box, allowing Owen Culver to score directly off the pass for his third goal of the season which gave Washington U. a 2-0 lead.
 
Culver currently leads the Bears' offensive attack with three goals and three assists this season.
 
IWU recorded multiple shots-on-goal in the closing minutes, as they looked to cut into the lead, but the Bears' defense preserved the shutout.
 
In total, the Bears outshot Illinois Wesleyan 13-9, placing seven shots-on-goal. WU also finished the contest with nine corner kicks, while the Titans had only three.
 
Individually, Culver's goal and assist led the way along with a team-best five shots on Tuesday. Eight different Bears finished with at least one shot throughout the duration of the match.
 
Matt Martin logged his second shutout of the year, as he also posted six saves in the victory.
 
WashU will return to action on Saturday for a non-conference contest at Wheaton.