No. 15 Men's Soccer Powers Past Principia 4-1 on Thursday Night
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St. Louis, Mo., October 21, 2010 – The No. 15 Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer team opened its five-game home stand to end the regular season with an impressive 4-1 victory over visiting Principia College on Thursday night at Francis Field in St. Louis, Mo.
The Bears saw four players record a goal, two in each half, as they bounced back from their first loss of the season with one of their best offensive games to date. Washington U. lost 2-1 in overtime at No. 20 University of Rochester last Sunday, the first loss of the year for the Red and Green after starting the year with a 10-0-3 mark.
Washington University ends its 2010 regular season schedule with five-straight contests at home, starting with Thursday night’s win over Principia. The Bears host Concordia-Moorhead on Monday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m., before closing the year with three games against University Athletic Association (UAA) foes.
Washington University led 2-0 at the half thanks to scores from sophomore Kenji Kobayashi and freshman Stephen Spanos during the first 45 minutes of action. Kobayashi’s score was his second in as many games and his third of the season.
Senior John Duncan started the play by sending a long pass into the Principia box toward freshman Michael Flowers. Although the pass was a bit high Flowers managed to get his head on it, keeping it in play and sending it back Kobayashi in the process, who in turn settled the ball and fired a hard top-shelf shot past Principia’s Samuel Thomas.
Junior Dylan Roman created the scoring opportunity for Spanos in the 33rd minute. Roman streaked down the right side of the field and powered past a pair of Principia defenders before sending a hard pass to Spanos in the middle of the box. Spanos quickly settled the ball and fired a quick low shot past a diving Thomas to provide the Bears with a 2-0 lead; the goal was the first of Spanos’ career.
Washington University appeared to be comfortably ahead until Principia’s Paul Sanderude found the back of the net with a fluky shot in the 49 minute. WUSTL defender Nik Patel attempted to clear the ball out of the Bears’ zone, but instead Sanderude intercepted the pass and fired a 30-yard shot into the Washington U. defense. The shot was not on net, so it deflected off one of the Bears’ defenders near the top of the box, and trickled past goalkeeper Jonathan Jebson for a score.
Following the Principia score neither team found much offense for the next 15 minutes of play before the Washington U. attack got going once again. The third score came via senior Cody Costakis, who tied for the team lead with 13 points, scoring his fourth goal of the season.
Senior David Klein drew a foul along the Principia end line, resulting in a free kick for Costakis. His long cross did not find any teammates, but after the ball was cleared out, Duncan sent it right back to Costakis on the left side who fired a low 15-yard shot that bounced off the turf and right over Thomas for the score.
Flowers netted the final insurance goal, scoring in the 90th minute with 17 seconds left in the game. With the clock ready to expire Spanos send a pass from the left side of the field to Flowers near the 30-yard line. Flowers send a perfectly struck ball into the top of the net, well out of Thomas’ reach to record his second score of the season.
The four goals in a game are the most for Washington University since it scored seven in the season-opening win over Webster University on Sept. 1.