Sports update Sept. 26: Men’s soccer suffers first loss

The No. 4 men’s soccer team — the program’s highest-ever national ranking — saw its seven-game, season-opening win streak come to an end with a 3-1 loss at No. 15 Dominican University Sept. 25 in River Forest, Ill.

The seven wins matched the most victories to start a season since 1974. Senior Cody Costakis scored his third goal of the year in the first half, but Dominican scored twice in the final 17 minutes of the game to break a 1-1 tie and come away with the victory.

Prior to the loss, WUSTL beat Westminster College Sept. 21. Sophomore midfielder Michael Flowers had a goal and an assist in that win, with juniors Jeremy Kirkwood and Zachary Query also scoring.

WUSTL (7-1) returns to action for a pair of home games this week, hosting Fontbonne University at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Carnegie Mellon in its University Athletic Association (UAA) opener at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2.

Women’s golf sweeps honors at Millikin Fall Invite

The No. 7 women’s golf team captured the 2011 Millikin Fall Classic Sept. 24 and 25 with a team score of 589 (291-298).

WUSTL posted a 56-stroke victory over second place and No. 21 North Central College (645, 323-322). Division II Truman State University (659, 338-321), Rend Lake Community College (659, 341-333) and host Millikin (679, 345-334) rounded out the top five in the 12-team field.

WUSTL also claimed the top-five spots in the individual standings. Freshman Olivia Lugar continued the impressive start to her freshman season, capturing her third individual title of the year with a two-day score of 145 (72-73). Lugar has fired eight-straight rounds under 80, and leads the team with a 74.13 average.

Sophomore Andrea Hibbert followed up a career-best round Sept. 24 with a 75 Sept. 25 to finish second with a two-day total of 147 (72-75). After firing a 90 Sept. 11 at the O’Brien National Invitational, Hibbert has fired five-straight rounds under 80 and lowered her average to 79.75.

Sophomore Allyson Chee finished two strokes behind Hibbert in third place after completing the 36-hole course with a 149 (73-76). Chee has recorded three of the last four rounds under 80, and has an 80.25 average entering the final week of the fall season.

Junior Hannah Buck completed the two-day event with a 151 (74-77), good for fourth place. Despite not counting in the top-four on day two, Buck has continued her consistent play with five-straight rounds under 80.

Freshman Taylor Fagan completed the WUSTL sweep, tying for fifth place with a 155 (81-74). The 74 on day two for Fagan was a career best.

The team completes its fall season Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, at The Pat Clouse Invitational in Springfield, Ohio.

Cross Country teams sweep invitational

The second-ranked women’s and third-ranked men’s cross country teams swept the team and individual honors at the Wheaton College Gil Dodds Invitational Sept. 24 in Warrenville, Ill.

The women’s team placed first out of five teams, with senior Liz Phillips capturing first-place overall with a score of 25 points. The men’s squad finished first in a field of eight teams by posting a score of 24 points. Senior Michael Burnstein placed first overall and the Bears finished ahead of No. 24 Wheaton College and a split squad from No. 1 North Central College, who ran a separate freshman group from the rest of its team.

With Phillips leading the way, the women’s squad saw five runners finish in the top-10. Phillips completed the 6K course with a time of 21:48.93, and classmate Molly Wawrzyniak came in second in 21:51.27. Burnstein won the men’s 8K race, finishing ahead of 124 other competitors with a mark of 25:23.30. He was one of six WUSTL runners to finish in the top 10 of the individual standings.

Both teams return to action Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ky.

Women’s soccer wins at Millikin

Freshman Anna Zambricki scored a goal in each half and sophomore Kate Doyle added three assists as the No. 14 women’s soccer team posted a road victory at Millikin University Sept. 23.

Zambricki netted goals in the fifth minute and the 61st minute to increase her team and University Athletic Association (UAA)-leading total to eight. She also leads the UAA with 18 points.

WUSTL (7-1) returned home to host Fontbonne University at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26.

Football loses second straight game

The football team dropped its second-straight game in a 13-10 loss at North Park University Sept. 24 in Chicago, Ill.

WUSTL was limited to just 29 yards rushing and nine first downs in the loss. North Park picked up 215 yards rushing on 60 carries and had a 40:25-19:35 advantage in time of possession. With the score tied at 10-10 late in the third quarter, Tony Kebeda kicked an eventual game-winning 26-yard field goal to make it 13-10.

Senior wide receiver Easton Knott was the lone bright spot for the Bears on offense, catching four passes for 124 yards and the lone WUSTL touchdown.

Senior linebacker Nick Hillard led the defensive unit with nine tackles, while senior linebacker Kyle Larkin had eight tackles.

WUSTL (2-2) will have a week off before hitting the road Saturday, Oct. 8, at No. 17 Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.

Men’s tennis hosts regional

Sophomore Max Franklin and freshman Kevin Chu picked up second-place honors in doubles to highlight the men’s tennis team Sept. 25 at the 2011 USTA/ITA Central Regional Championships at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center.

Franklin and Chu dropped a 1-6, 7-5, 7-10 decision to No. 6 seed Sam Miles and Ben Kopecky of DePauw University in the final match of the day. The duo fell behind 6-1, 5-1, before mounting a comeback with three-straight breaks to force a super-tiebreaker for the third set.

Franklin and Chu ousted three ranked teams en route to the championship match, including No. 11 seed and teammates in junior Adam Putterman and freshman Ross Putterman in the semifinals, 9-7. Adam Putterman was one of three Bears who advanced to the quarterfinals in singles.

Putterman, the No. 9 seed, defeated No. 1 seed Paul Burgin (Kenyon) and No. 13 seed Sam Miles (6-2, 6-2. Putterman and No. 16 seed C.J. Williams of ) Sept. 25 to advance to the championship match.

Ross Putterman made an appearance in the semifinals as the No. 18 seed before falling to Williams, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Junior Gary Parizher, the No. 11 seed, also advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Ross Putterman, 6-1, 7-5.

In the St. Louis Collegiate Singles draw, sophomore Jeffrey Hirsh defeated freshman teammate Connor Mulhall 6-1, 6-1 in the championship match. With the win, Hirsh gains an automatic bid to the 2012 USTA/ITA Central Regional. Sophomore Tim Noack and freshman Eric Ziska had a nice showing in the St. Louis Collegiate Doubles back draw, falling in the final, 9-7.