The University of Chicago women’s soccer team has been more than dominant so far in the 2017 season, going 17–0 and accruing the #1 DIII women’s soccer ranking in the process. The women have won their games by a combined score of 65–4, and only one game had a winning margin of one goal. The Maroons have been even more successful against their UAA foes, five of which were ranked in the top 25. Goalkeepers Katie Donovan and Miranda Malone have combined to give the Maroons a clean sheet in UAA play, as they have won their combined games by a score of 16–0.
The Maroons have been led defensively by fourth-year captain Kelsey Moore. In addition to her defensive presence, Moore also has four goals, three of these being game winners, as well as two assists on the season.
“We have had an unbelievable season so far. It’s something we’ve worked extremely hard for and something that I am very proud of. But, it’s by no means satisfying. We’re after a much larger goal, and we are going to keep on working till we achieve it,” Moore said, referencing the possibility to win an NCAA title after the Maroons advanced to Final Four last year.
The South Siders will face their biggest test of the year this Saturday as they take on the Bears of the Washington University in St. Louis. WashU currently holds the #6 national ranking, going 14–1–1 so far this season. The Bears tied Wheaton 2–2, while the Maroons pulled out their closest contest of the season, winning 2–1. WashU’s only loss was to conference foe Carnegie Mellon, who the Maroons took care of 2–0. The Bears have been equally as tough defensively as the Chicago, but have only scored 44 goals to the South Siders’ 65.
Moore spoke of the excitement and challenge of this upcoming weekend and Senior day, “We’ve always had a historic rivalry with WashU. But for some reason this year it seems exponentially bigger. There are a lot of factors playing into why we are so hyped for this game… but let’s just say we’re all looking forward to a great contest on Saturday.”
The Maroons will take on the Bears this Saturday at 1:30 pm at home. In addition to playing for a UAA championship and a perfect regular season record, Chicago will also honor its seniors before kickoff.
