Washington University Lady Bears Reach D3 Final 4

As the Washington University women’s soccer team travels south to San Antonio, the excitement and anticipation within the team is growing. It is the Lady Bears’ second appearance in the Final Four, and first since 1997. Wash. U. faces Lynchburg College in the national semifinal at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

The team enters the tournament with a 17-3-2 record, and boasts the leading scorer in the University Athletic Association, sophomore Emma Brown. Freshman goalkeeper Clara Jaques is in the top three goalkeepers of the UAA with a .870 save percentage. As student-athletes, the players must prepare not only for an intense two days of soccer but also for an imminent wave of finals. Interviews with some of the players are available on the WashU site.

Defending champion Messiah brings a 50-game unbeaten streak to the NCAA Women’s Division III final four. The College of New Jersey, Messiah’s opponent in the semifinals, is making its fifth appearance in the semifinals in the last seven years. Washington (Mo.) faces Lynchburg in the other semifinal in San Antonio, Texas. For a look at the four teams, visit Soccer America’s preview.

The game will be available live via the web, visit the Washington University website for more info.

The team is composed of players from around the country, with only four from Missouri. John Duncan (Joplin 2007) is the only regional representative on the Men’s team.

For information on the Men’s D3 Final Four, here’s Soccer America’s preview.