CLEVELAND – Who wrote this script? On Seniors Night', senior forward Jessie Sabers (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) scored her second goal of the match to lead the Case Western Reserve University women's soccer team past No. 2 nationally ranked Washington University in St. Louis in a double-overtime thriller at DiSanto Field.

The Spartans move to 8-3-2 overall and 1-2 in the University Athletic Association. The Bears suffer their first loss in dropping to 10-1-2, 1-1-1 UAA.

CWRU had lost 20 matches in a row to Washington U. dating back to the mid-1990s. The Bears entered the match with the nation's longest road win streak (21) for all divisions.

Prior to the match, CWRU honored its five women's soccer senior student-athletes: Cameron Casson (Allen, Texas/Allen), Caitlyn McGillis (Fraser, Mich./Regina), Sabers, Abbey Smith (Powell, Ohio /Olentangy Liberty) and Christine Straka (Prospect Heights, Ill./Saint Viator).

Sabers scored the winner on a header at 101:41 via an assist by freshman midfielder Madeleine Harris (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North). The game winner adds to Sabers' school-record total (11) as she also moved into a tie for second place for the most career goals in program history (21).

Despite no activity on the scoreboard in the opening 45 minutes, the aforementioned Smith had a busy half dealing with an aggressive Washington U. attack. Some of the senior keeper's best plays did not involve a save as she came out of the net for several punches on corners and crosses. The best scoring chance of the period came for the Bears in the 44th minute when Tessa Delaney drilled a shot just high of the crossbar.

In the second, scoreless play continued until the 53:20 mark when Sabers grabbed possession after a turnover then was fouled on a breakaway in the visitor box. On the ensuing penalty kick, Sabers beat Washington U. goalkeeper Lizzy Crist to the bottom right corner for her fourth goal of 2014.

The Bears then turned the heat on offensively and looked to tie things up in the 70th minute, but freshman defender Neha Cheemalavagu (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View) stepped in front of a shot for a clutch block to keep the match scoreless.

However, the Bears kept plugging away and finally broke through at 85:06 when Lillie Toaspern battled her way into the box and fired a shot off of the left post and into the net. Neither side found the scoring column the rest of the regulation as the match went to overtime.

After the first 10 minutes of OT went scoreless, Sabers and the Spartans wasted little time in grabbing one of the most significant wins in program history. With possession in the corner, Harris fired a ball towards the net, and Sabers got just enough head on the ball to deflect it past Crist for the win.

For the match, the Bears outshot CWRU, 14-7, and led in corner kicks, 5-1. In between the pipes, Smith made five saves, while Crist logged three. A physical match also saw a combined 33 fouls. 

The Spartans wrap up the home portion of the schedule this Sunday, October 19 versus No. 13 University of Chicago at 1:30 p.m.