The Journal

It may have taken the Washington University women's soccer team longer than they expected, but after a goal with four minutes remaining in overtime, the Bears knocked off Webster University 2-1.

WashU entered their NCAA tournament opener against the Gorloks on Nov. 14, as heavy favorites. The Bears were ranked 17th in the nation by the NCAA coaches' poll, and were favorites to advance from the regional.

But the upset-minded Gorloks had other ideas, as they responded to the Bears' goal with an equalizer on a header from junior forward Megan Niederschulte.

Niederschulte's tying goal was with 23:02 remaining in the second half.

The two teams remained tied 1-1 into overtime, the Gorloks' second consecutive game that extended beyond regulation.

Just seconds after losing junior midfielder Kelsey McClure to a knee injury, the Bears struck for the game-winning goal, a laser to the left of freshman goaltender Shelby Wade.

The loss was a difficult pill to swallow for the Gorloks, who thwarted numerous scoring opportunities throughout the game, only to see the game slip away in the extra session.

Minutes after the game ended, senior defender Jessica Schellerup remained defiant in defeat.

"We won that game," Schellerup said. "Whether or not it showed on the scoreboard, we won the game. We were the better team that showed up today."

Senior midfielder Kristin Garlich noted the team's ability to battle adversity to bring the Gorloks back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus.

"(It's) a long journey, but we fought the entire time, and look where we were in the end - overtime against a top-ranked team in the country," Garlich said.

For much of the game, the Gorloks were clinging to their one-goal deficit, as the Bears unleashed a continuous onslaught of shots toward Wade. Wade put the Gorloks in position to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Wade, who didn't establish her standing as the team's starting goalie until midseason, earned a first-team all-conference nod in her first collegiate season. After beginning the season as a backup, she has placed herself in prime position for her three remaining years at WU.

"You've got to play with your heart," Wade said. "I trusted in God, and He delivered for me (this season). He's got my future, so everything's going to be fine."

Coach Luigi Scire emphasized the team's ability to thrive despite the team's adversity, most notably season-ending injuries to sophomore sweeper Izzy Sherfy and sophomore goaltender Brittany Senator.

Those injuries left voids at the team's most crucial defensive positions and were each filled by freshmen. Wade stepped in for Senator, with Caroline Schmidt and Emily Anderson splitting time replacing Sherfy.

"This team battled all year long," Scire said. "An underdog not only in conference, but here, too. Everyone thought it was going to be a joke here today (at WashU). The players went out and showed that we're a very good program."

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