From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago men's soccer team captured its third outright University Athletic Association title in four years with a 2-1 victory over rival Washington-St. Louis on senior day Saturday.
The No. 8 Maroons (16-2, 6-1 UAA) netted both goals in the first half and held off the visiting Bears (7-7-2, 1-5-1) late in the match to win their third straight match and earn the automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA Division III Tournament.
Junior Max Lopez netted his league-leading 16th goal of the year in just the 13th minute, benefiting from junior teammate Nicco Capotosto's assist, a cross into the box from the left side that Lopez headed in past the Bears' keeper.
Lopez was part of the next scoring play, as he dished a ball to a sprinting Matthew Koh, who beat his defender and finished to the lower left side to make it 2-0 Maroons in the 31st.
That lead would hold through halftime and most of the second half, until a pressing WashU responded with a triple-header play – two straight headers by Ryan Sproule and Shadi Awad found teammate Andrew Zingone, who headed it in to cut the lead to one.
But the UChicago defense would hold down the stretch, as first-year Aaron Katsimpalis (3-0) collected his third-straight win, stopping four shots in the process.
The Maroons held a slight shot advantage, 13-12, and in corner kicks, 5-4.