The No. 7 men’s soccer team split Homecoming weekend on Gordon Field against University Athletic Association foes as the Judges continued to struggle to maintain their offensive output. On Sunday, the Judges lost 2-0 at home to Washington University in St. Louis, while on Friday they defeated the University of Chicago 1-0 in overtime. 

WashU 2, No. 7 Judges 0

The difference-maker against WashU came just 5:05 into the match after Judges goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse ’18 was beaten off his line by Washington University junior Kevin Goon, who chipped the ball into the empty net. The Judges nearly equalized a few minutes later, but midfielder Michael Chaput’s 17 shot banged off the post; the Judges were unable to clean up the rebound. 

The Bears added an insurance goal in the 61st minute, thanks to a header by senior forward Ryan Sproule. Sproule received a cross from senior Ike Witte and placed it past Woodhouse. The Judges turned up the tempo, putting nine shots on net, compared to the three they had in the first half. While the Judges outshot the Bears 12-10, the Bears put more shots on net, 7-1. The Bears’ offensive domination included a comprehensive lead on set pieces, as they led 8-2 in number of corner kicks. It was an easy game for the Bears’ defense; junior goalkeeper Daniel Geanon did not have to make a save in the second half. On the bright side for the Judges, midfielder Josh Ocel ’17 had three shots, illustrating the balanced nature of the Judges’ midfield. 

The game was moderately physical, with 23 combined fouls, 12 of which were called on the Judges. One yellow card was issued. Ocel received a yellow card in the 61st minute for a challenge made near the flank in the defensive third.

No. 7 Judges 1, Chicago 0 (OT)

The Maroons controlled play in the first half of Friday’s contest, outshooting the Judges 5-3. Not only did they outshoot the Judges, they dominated set pieces in the first half and throughout the game, leading 7-0 and 11-0, respectively. In the half, Woodhouse made two saves and defenseman Stephen DiPietto ’19 cleared a ball off the line. 

The chances were few and far between for the Judges in the first half, with none of their three shots in the first half challenging the Chicago defense. 

In the second half, the pitch was slanted in favor of the Judges. The Judges outshot Chicago 8-5 after the halftime break. 

After Woodhouse denied the Maroons’ Jorge Bilbao in the early minutes, the Judges started attacking more. 

The Judges had two rips on net in the 55th minute, but Chicago goalkeeper Hill Bonin made impressive saves on both attempts. In the 73rd minute, midfielder Jake Picard ’16 had one shot blocked and another cleared off the goal line by a Chicago defender. 

In the 85th minute, the Judges broke the deadlock. Woodhouse’s punt bounced in the Chicago third, when forward Zach Vieira ’17 controlled the ball and played it through to the Chicago 18-yard box. 

From there, forward Evan Jastremski ’17 gained space and placed it into the side netting. The goal was Jastremski’s first of the year, as he missed most of the season so far because of injury. The goal was his seventh career goal and third career game-winner. 

The match was not as physical as earlier matches, with 21 total fouls, 12 by the Judges and nine by the Maroons. Defense continues to be a strength for the Judges. Making five saves, Woodhouse recorded another clean sheet.  Their defense has helped the Judges in close games — 11 of their 12 wins have been one-goal affairs. 

The win came a year after the Judges’ 1-0 loss in Chicago. With the win, the Judges lead narrowly the all-time series against the Maroons 15-11-2. 

The Judges have nine days off until hosting Lassell College on Oct. 27 in what is their final non-conference game before a weekend road trip to Emory University and the University of Rochester. 

On the season, the men are 12-2-1 overall, which includes 3-1 in the UAA conference.

With only four contests  remaining on its schedule, the team will look to finish strong in order to secure a spot in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III National Tournament.

Last season the team went all the way to the Elite Eight of the tournament, where it fell dissapointingly to the State University of New York at Oneonta.