The No. 6/3 ranked Emory University Men's Soccer team travels to St. Louis, MO this Saturday for the University Athletic Association opener against the WashU Bears. Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM EST at Francis Field in St. Louis.
Head Coach Cory Greiner has guided the Eagles to an unblemished 8-0 record to start to the season, the best opening eight-game stretch since 2010 and ninth 8-0 start in program history. Emory is currently one of 11 remaining teams in Division III with a 1.000 winning percentage joining Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Connecticut College, Hope, Mount Union, Penn St.-Harrisburg, Ramapo, University of Rochester, Roger Williams, St. Joseph's (ME) and Tufts. During the Greinerball era, the Eagles are 23-5-2 including the team's current 13-game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) dating back to last season, tied for the fourth longest streak in program history.
The Eagles rank 28th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging three goals per game and are led by senior Moustafa Khattab and junior Jun Tsuru. Through eight games, Tsuru ranks first in the UAA and third in Division III with seven assists while Khattab is sixth with six helpers. Khattab leads the team and is 39th among qualified players in the country with 16 points with Tsuru checking in at 58th with 15 points. Defensively, the team ranks 46th nationally with a 0.624 goals-against average thanks to six shutouts including four straight. Sophomore goalkeeper Cole Gallagher is 8-0 in his starts this year to go along with a 0.69 GAA and .800 save percentage.
After dropping its first three matches to start the year, WashU has reeled off four straight wins heading into Saturday's game. Ryan Sproule has carried the Bears offense through the first seven games, recording five goals and two assists for 12 points. Goalkeeper Connor Mathes is 3-3 in six starts and has made 13 saves and has allowed just six goals. WashU is led by Head Coach Joe Clarke who has posted a 238-113-48 record during his 22 seasons with the program.
WashU leads the all-time series 13-11-8 but the Eagles are 4-0-1 in the last five meetings, having won four straight and two consecutive by 2-1 margins. Fans can follow Saturday's contest with live video and stats which can be found here: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/wustl/.