Patrick McLean's Penalty Kick in 86th Minute Lifts Men's Soccer Past Westminster

BOX

Fulton, Mo., October 6, 2010 – Junior Patrick McLean converted a penalty kick in the 86th minute to lift the No. 12 Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer team to a 1-0 win at Westminster College on Wednesday evening in Fulton, Mo.

The victory sets up a showdown between the Bears (8-0-3) and No. 11 Carnegie Mellon University in a crucial University Athletic Association (UAA) matchup on Sunday, Oct. 10, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Game time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (ET).

The Tartans entered last week’s UAA opener at the University of Chicago as the second-ranked team in the nation with a perfect 8-0 mark, but the Maroons upset them, 2-1, in double overtime. Washington University earned a 0-0 tie against No. 9 Emory University last Sunday, keeping its unbeaten record intact.

In the win over Westminster on Wednesday night, Washington University dominated play, but was only able to score once, off the penalty kick with fewer than five minutes to play.

The bears held a 23-4 advantage over the Blue Jays in shots, and recorded eight shots on goal while yielding just two attempts on net for Westminster. The Bears also created 11 corner kick opportunities, compared to two for Westminster, and earned the eighth team shutout of the year in the process. Washington University has now outscored its opponents 21-3 in 2010. After struggling to find offense last season, the Bears have now equaled last season’s offensive output in just 11 games.

McLean’s game-winner was his team-leading sixth goal of the year, and his third-game winning strike of the season; the junior has scored four goals in the last five games. Senior Andrew Serio and freshman Jonathan Jebson each made one save against Westminster, splitting the shutout. Jebson, who played the second half, was credited with the win and improves to 3-0-2 on the year.