WashU’s offense has scored 3.82 goals per game, the sixth best mark in Division III. (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

Despite being the No. 1 team in Division III,  the WashU women’s soccer team has shared the top spot in the University Athletic Association (UAA) with one team — No. 3 Carnegie Mellon University. On Oct. 25, that changed as WashU held Carnegie Mellon scoreless, defeating the Tartans 3-0. Two days later, in their last home game of the regular season, the Bears defeated Case Western Reserve University 3-1.

With the wins, WashU is now alone at the top of the UAA table as the only undefeated team. No. 25 University of Rochester, who WashU will face next weekend on Nov. 3, sits at second place in the conference standings with a 4-1 record. A win over Rochester next weekend would clinch a second-straight UAA title for WashU and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the tournament.

Early on, the game against Carnegie Mellon looked like it would be a defensive matchup. However, in the 14th minute, sophomore Sophie Viscovich found the back of the net off a volley from junior Ella Koleno for her first goal of the season. Viscovich has been a consistent starter for the Bears in the midfield in 2024, starting 15 out of 16 games and tallying 51 shots, the second-highest on the team behind first-year Olivia Clemons.

“My coach kind of gave me a more specific role of trying to facilitate this year, which I … understood didn’t mean always being the one to score, but obviously, it’s a great feeling when you’re able to get one in,” Viscovich said. “But along with that, every player on our team is given the job to just do their job right and finish it when the moment comes.”

Seventeen minutes later, Clemons broke past a Tartans defender, putting herself in a familiar situation — the only thing standing between her and the goal was the keeper. The Bears’ leading scorer netted her 15th goal to put WashU up 2-0. Ten minutes later, off a pass from sophomore Madi Foley, Clemons scored her 16th goal of the season to put the Bears up 3-0, where they would end the half.

The second half proved to be more of a defensive battle, with WashU holding the Tartans to three shots with the Bears only notching one shot. The match marked the 12th shut-out for the Bears backline, led by senior goal-keeper Sidney Conner. Conner, who has recorded 22 saves this season, had two saves in the second half, keeping the clean sheet for the Bears.

Senior Emma Riley McGahan and the Bears defense kept their 12th shut-out of the season in the win over Carnegie Mellon. (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

Two days later, the Bears returned to Francis Field to defeat Case Western 3-1.

Despite less than 48 hours separating the games, the Bears’ fatigue did not show, as they quickly pulled ahead of Case Western. Four minutes into the match, Koleno teed up senior Meryl McKenna, whose cross into a crowded box found its way to junior Kaci Karl. Karl slotted the ball into the goal, putting the Bears ahead 1-0. Ten minutes later, junior Grace Ehlert, the Bears’ second-leading scorer, found the goal for the 11th time this season to extend the Bears’ lead.

In the 22nd minute, Viscovich took a shot downfield, and a botched save from the defender caused the ball to pop free. Viscovich capitalized on the opportunity, firing the ball into the top corner of the net, recording her second goal of the season and allowing WashU to pull ahead by three.

Despite an early goal in the second half to put the score at 3-1, the Spartans were unable to come back, held to only six shots throughout the match, compared to WashU’s 12. The Bears also dominated on corner kicks, recording 10 to Case Western’s one.

While the weekend was WashU’s first UAA doubleheader, playing back-to-back games has been a focus for the Bears throughout the season to prepare for this weekend and the NCAA tournament — where many games are played within two days of each other.

“I think day-two legs is something that our team trains all season long,” Viscovich said. “So whether that’s coming home from a trip and practicing the next morning, we’ve had a couple double non-conference games, coming home training on that third day to prepare ourselves for weekends like this. And I think we have a super deep roster this year — everyone’s just ready to go.”

With a spotless conference record, the Bears will travel to upstate New York to take on Rochester on Nov. 3. A win would solidify the Bears bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.