As the team ranked 4th in the nation, Washington University women’s soccer was expected to handle its business this week. Through five games, the squad had shut out its opponents with a combined score of 23-0, so anything short of two dominant performances would’ve been disappointing.

In the second game of the season, the Washington University football team dominated their first conference game with a 63-13 win against Millikin University. With the win, the team now boasts a 2-0 record to start the season. This game was dominated by WashU, much like the last two years have been, and gives the Bears a 4-1 record against Millikin in their five matchups.

Last spring, talks for new transfers for the Washington university women’s soccer team began. With three new transfer players from D1 schools, the Bears team is hopeful for a great upcoming season and hopes to reach nationals with the addition of these graduate athletes.

Coming off of wins against some of the top teams in the nation, WashU entered the UW-Whitewater Invite with high hopes. Facing unranked Saint Benedict in the first match, the #7-ranked Bears exuded confidence. However, the team quickly dropped consecutive sets despite great defense from Libero Ellie Laird and aces from all over the team

Millikin University proved too difficult for the Washington University men’s soccer team on Saturday, as the Bears fell 2-1 in a hard-fought away contest. The loss marked the team’s second out of five games so far this season, highlighting the challenges it has faced to start the year.

While freshman college athletes sparsely play their first year, Sam Buckley isn’t like most. Last year for the women’s volleyball team, Buckley was named All-UAA First Team and UAA Rookie of the Year. She also helped power the team to a 30-6 record and second round appearance in the NCAA tournament.

This past Sunday, women’s soccer fought its way to a commanding 4-0 victory against Rhodes College to record its second win in three days. The Bears had previously beaten DePauw College 4-0 Friday evening. With these wins, the team improves their season record to 5-0, remaining undefeated.

“We have a lot of work to do to get where we’ve got to go, but the best way of learning is learning while winning,” said Coach Jim Conlon in his message to the Washington University women’s soccer team following their home opener against Carroll University on Friday afternoon. If the best way of learning includes winning, then the 10th ranked squad in the country has definitely learned a lot through three games.

The Washington University men’s soccer team (2-1-1) continued their out-of-conference season with mixed results, convincingly defeating Principia College on Thursday evening and drawing with Aurora University on Sunday afternoon. While the Bears exploded for five goals against Principia, WashU’s failure to convert opportunities and controversial penalties hindered their chance to sweep their weekend series. 

In a weekend to remember, the Washington University volleyball team left its mark in California. The Bears — who traveled to the Golden State to compete in the East to West Invitational — battled through tough opposition for three impressive victories, including two wins over teams ranked top 10 in the nation.