The Maroon squad suffered a disappointing 1–0 loss this weekend to Wash U (13–3–2). With the loss, the Maroons finished the regular season with a 13–4–1 overall record, and placed second in the UAA with a conference record of 4–2–1. The Bears ended up fourth in the UAA.
Although unable to come away with the victory, the Maroons dominated the Bears for the majority of the game, outnumbering them in both shots on goal and corner kicks. The team acknowledged its valiant effort despite not getting the ultimate victory in the match.
Third-year defender Ryann Hanley said, “I don’t think the score was an accurate reflection of the game. We outshot them 13 to eight and had eight corner kicks to their one [corner kick]. We didn’t put away our chances and they put away one of their only dangerous chances from 30 yards out…. We played very well overall and cannot fault our effort.”
First-year midfielderWhitley Cargile agreed with her teammate. “We played really well the whole game. We had the wind with us in the first half and had a lot of great opportunities but we weren’t able to finish. Wash U had the wind with them in the second half and they were able to score early [in the half]. We played a great game, but we got unlucky.”
The Maroons saw significant contributions from several players, many of whom will be integral to the squad’s postseason hopes, as it begins to focus on making a run for the NCAA Championship.
“[Third-year forward] Julia Ozello created a few great chances for us as well as [first-year forward] Caroline Olivero and [third-year midfielder] Naomi Pacalin. Everyone played very well overall and that’s why it really hit home for us when we lost,” said Hanley.
The Maroons also received notable contributions from first-year defender Kaitlin Price, who nearly scored in the first half off of a header. Additionally, first-year forward Mia Calamari was able to fire off a close shot in the first half that hit the post.
With the NCAA tournament looming, Chicago knows that this loss can serve as a learning experience, especially for such a young group.
Cargile said, “This loss helped us to realize that we need to work on finishing our looks with goals. Our defense has been strong but being able to consistently score will obviously be important in tournament play. That’s probably what we’ll focus on working on this week in practice.”
“This game has definitely lit a fire within us. Wash U is one of our biggest rivals; they’re chippy and hard-hitting and I think this loss made everyone feel like we are not going to let this happen again, not by Wash U, not by anyone,” added Hanley.
The Maroons hope to carry this intensity into their first tournament game against Webster University at home this Saturday.
