John Duncan and WashU Host Matt Medley and Loras Sunday In NCAA D3 Tourney

Senior John Duncan (Joplin 2007) celebrated Senior Day on November 6th by scoring a goal early in the first overtime as the No. 10 ranked Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer team ended regular season play with a 2-1 victory over the University of Chicago on Saturday afternoon at Francis Field.

Duncan’s shot from 25 yards out got by Chicago goalkeeper Mason Harless at 91:41 for the game-winner. The goal for Duncan was his second of the season. The Class of 2011 has led the Bears to a 51-18-10 (.709) record in their four years on the Danforth Campus.

With the result, the Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer team received an at-large berth into the 2010 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Bears received a bye into second round play and will face Loras College on Sunday, Nov. 14, at Francis Field in St. Louis, Mo., at 1 p.m. Loras defeated Greenville 3-1 in first round action on Thursday, Nov. 11, in Dubuque, Iowa.

Washington University is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time in school history, and the first since the 2007 season, when the Bears advanced to the sectional finals before falling to Trinity University, 2-1. Washington U. is 25-17-4 (.587) all-time in postseason play, and advanced to the Final Four on five occasions, the last coming in 1987.

With a 14-1-4 overall record in 2010, Washington University is enjoying one of the best seasons in school history. The Bears posted a 4-1-2 mark in University Athletic Association (UAA) action, finishing second in the conference behind only New York University. The UAA had four schools selected to participate in this year’s tournament, with New York garnering the automatic bid and Emory University and the University of Rochester also receiving at-large bids.

Loras College was an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Loras defeated Wartburg College, 2-1, in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) championship on Nov. 6. The Duhawks advanced to the NCAA sectional semifinals a year ago, when they boasted an overall record of 20-3-1.

Washington University won a regular season game against Loras College 1-0 on Sept. 19th. The Bear’s converted an early goal by Patrick McLean to win 1-0 on their home field.

Medley, a member of the two-time State Champion Springfield SC squad, has played in 6 games as a sophomore. The Loras College men’s soccer team is making their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championships after winning the IIAC Tournament on Saturday night, 2-1 over Wartburg College. Each team entered the tournament after going 7-1 in the regular season and the Knights winning on their home field on October 8. Luke Prater (Kickapoo/SSC) is a starting midfielder and All-Conference player for Wartburg.