They say “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” but the Division III national championship trophy is coming home to St. Louis with the WashU women’s soccer team. For the second time in program history, the Bears are national champions, after defeating No. 11 William Smith College 3-0 on Dec. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Hailing from the shores of Seneca Lake, New York, the No. 11 Herons received an at-large bid to the tournament after losing the Liberty League conference championship. Since the tournament, though, William Smith has caught fire and defied the odds.

Now, after the 3-0 victory, the Bears will make their second straight National Championship appearance on Sunday, Dec. 8. After losing in last season’s title game, the Bears — who now hold a WashU record with 22 wins in a single season — are looking for one final win in the season’s final game.

At the start of each season, the players on the WashU women’s soccer team create a goal pyramid, starting with listing off small goals that set the building blocks for their larger aspirations. So far this season, the No. 1 ranked Bears have been ticking many of their goals off the list: have an undefeated season at home, win the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship, and make the Final Four. Now, the Bears have their “top goal” left to achieve: to win the national championship.

Late in the second half of their Elite Eight matchup against University of Chicago, the No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team was struggling to find a breakthrough. The conference rivals — who had tied their last five matches against each other — were locked in a defensive stalemate on Francis Field with a Final Four spot on the line.

Sophomore Sophie Viscovich has had a successful soccer career at WashU so far, being named as an All-UAA Honorable Mention in both of her first two collegiate seasons. Student Life sat down with Viscovich to discuss how she was introduced to soccer, her time on the WashU women’s soccer team, and her life outside the game.

With their two early goals, the Bears lit a flame that never went out. The Bears added three more goals before halftime, and despite conceding mid-way through the second half, defeated the Simpson Storm 5-1. Just a day after kicking off their playoff campaign with a 2-0 victory over DePauw University, the Bears locked up a spot in the round of 16 for the eighth season in a row.

One year later, the Bears are back on the prowl for the program’s second-ever national championship, and their journey to Las Vegas kicks off in St. Louis this weekend.

For the first time since 2018, the No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team ends the regular season unbeaten.

 In the face of pressure, the Bears excelled once again, beating the Yellowjackets 2-0 to earn their second straight UAA championship and an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA tournament. The conference title is the 17th in program history,  and the Bears have now won at least a share of nine of the last 10 conference championships.