The Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team faltered this week, falling to Washington University in St. Louis and University of Chicago. Both games were tight, needing extra time to finish and the team losing 1-0 each game. The Spartans conclude their regular season on Saturday, Nov. 7 with a home game against Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), which will also be Senior Night.

In the first contest against University of Chicago, the Spartans tallied only four shots on goal while putting up 14 shots. The Maroons fared a little better, putting up five shots on goal and 15 shots overall. Second-year student and goalkeeper Calvin Boyle stopped four of the five shots sent his way, but couldn’t stop a penalty kick from UChicago’s Brenton-Neal Desai in the 93rd minute.

In the second contest against No.11 Washington University in St. Louis, the Spartans’ offensive woes continued. While the team was able to put together 16 shots, including seven on goal, they were held without a goal for the second straight game. Calvin Boyle had a solid game with eight saves, but the Bears eventually broke through in the 105th minute of the game by Ryan Sproule.

When asked about his team’s recent offensive struggles, especially since they just came off a 9-0 victory last week, Head Coach Brandon Bianco said, “Soccer is a funny game and you need to be a little lucky at times.”

Bianco also went on to say that the team, “created enough, but unfortunately didn’t find goals when it mattered the most.”

The next challenge for this team is CMU. The Spartans have to rebound from their tough weekend and put on a great performance for their seniors on Senior Night. When asked about his goals for this game, Bianco said, “The same as always, to win the next game.” He also mentioned that winning on Senior Night, “is something I know means a lot to our group.”

Overall this season was incredibly successful for the Spartans, as they have built a solid foundation for next year when many of the core players are going to be returning. Bianco reflected on the season by saying, “This group has a lot to be proud of. We did things this year that this program has never done and did it in a way that our guys will look back on and be proud of. This is a special group regardless of how we finish.”