ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The No. 7-ranked North Park University Men's Soccer team suffered its first defeat of the season Tuesday afternoon, falling to Washington University in St. Louis 2-1 at Francis Olympic Field. The Bears, who received national votes earlier today, improve their record to 5-1 while North Park moves to 4-1.
The lone shot saved in the first half for either team was from junior midfielder Nico Chavez, whose sixth-minute shot was stopped by WashU keeper Cal L'Hommedieu. WashU opened the scoring in the 43rd minute when Quentin Gomez finished a well-placed pass from Zach Susee just yards from the goal. This would be the only other shot on frame in the first half, as WashU claimed a 1-0 lead at halftime.
North Park responded after halftime with a goal in the 55th minute from junior forward Emil Svenander, assisted by freshman midfielder Viktor Jonsson, leveling the match at 1-1.
The decisive moment for the match came in the 64th minute when Ethan Wirtschafter converted a penalty kick to give WashU the lead for good.
North Park generated several scoring chances, recording 7 total shots with 4 on goal. Notable chances included:
- Junior defender Nico Chavez had two first-half shots, one saved and one off-target.
- Senior defender Hugo Neborg and senior midfielder Vidar Rydell each forced saves from L'Hommedieu in the second half.
- Junior defender Emil Ramström and sophomore midfielder Alexander Gahm added pressure with shots in the final third.
WashU managed 9 shots; only 2 were on target, both resulting in goals.
Top Performers
North Park:
WashU:
- Quentin Gomez - 1 goal, 2 shots
- Ethan Wirtschafter - 1 goal (PK), 1 shot on goal
- Zach Susee - 1 assist
- Cal L'Hommedieu - 3 saves, 90 minutes in goal
What's Next?
North Park (4-1) is approaching the halfway point of a five games away from the Holmgren Athletic Complex and next looks to the UW-Whitewater Warhawks (4-1) on Friday, September 19. Kickoff at Robert Fiskum Field is set for 7:00 PM CT.
