ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Conference matchups can sometimes be unpredictable and turn in a heartbeat. The No. 11 Washington University in St. Louis men's soccer team scored three times in the first half and once in the second to defeat No. 12 Brandeis, 4-0, in the UAA opener for both teams on Saturday morning at Francis Olympic Field.
With the win, the Bears improve to 9-1 overall and 1-0 in the UAA.
Both teams saw strong offensive pushes early on, but it was the Bears who broke through in the 23rd minute. After earning a corner kick, first-year
Sebastian Valdes sent the ball into the box where junior
Quentin Gomez leaped and headed it in at 22:12 for a 1-0 lead.
It took nearly another 20 minutes for the next goal, as sophomore
Yash Kshirsagar fought for the ball in the box before back kicking it to junior
Ethan Wirtschafter, who found it and fired an insurance goal at 40:09.
Just over a minute later, a miss-clear by the Judges' goalie around the left side of the 25-yard line ricocheted off the chest of Wirtschafter and bounced back towards an empty goal. It clinked off the crossbar, but Wirtschafter followed the ball and headed in his second goal of the contest.
In the 68th minute, first-year
Wole Adeoye was fighting for the ball on the right side of the Brandeis goal. Like Kshirsagar earlier, he tapped the ball to Wirtschafter on the left side, who collected his second 3+ goal game of the season at 67:02.
Junior
Cal L'Hommedieu played all 90 minutes in goal for his ninth win and third shutout of the season. He made five saves on the day.
WashU is on the road next weekend for a single game at Case Western Reserve on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT.
Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
