After defeating the Eagles in the Elite Eight last year, Kaci Karl and the Bears may face UW-La Crosse in the second round Sunday. (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

In the fall of 2023, WashU’s women’s soccer team caught the eye of campus during a streak of thrilling playoff wins — four of which came on home turf — in a run to the Division III National Championship game, where the Bears lost to California Lutheran University. 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.

WashU, the nation’s No. 1 seed, will host DePauw University, the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and Simpson College at Francis Olympic Field on Saturday, Nov. 16 and Sunday Nov. 17 in the first two rounds of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Bears will first play against DePauw on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., and the winner will take on the winner of the other matchup on Sunday at 7:00 p.m.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s matchups:

How did WashU get here?

After one of WashU’s most dominant regular seasons in recent history in 2023 — where the Bears shut out opponents through their first 15 games — expectations were high for the team, who entered the season ranked second in D-III.

Just five minutes into the 2024 season, the Bears did something that they didn’t do for nearly 1,400 minutes in 2023. They gave up a goal in their season opener against Trine University. However, WashU responded with eight straight goals for their largest season-opening victory in 11 years.

The Bears dominated their non-conference season, not giving up a single goal after their third match — a 3-0 victory against Westminster College (MO). They outscored non-conference opponents 53-3, and recorded just one draw with Calvin University on Sept. 23.

The Bears’ biggest test came in late October, when they faced then-No. 3 Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University, two of the best teams in the University Athletic Association (UAA). WashU passed the test with flying colors, defeating Carnegie 3-0 and Case 3-1. With the wins, the Bears showed that they are capable of succeeding despite a quick turnaround, a challenge they will face in the tournament, where games are often played on back-to-back days.

One week later, the team traveled to upstate New York, where they defeated No. 15 University of Rochester to be crowned back-to-back UAA Champions and to earn the 17th title in program history. 

In 2023, WashU finished as runners-up in Division III. (Clara Richards | Student Life)

Who are WashU’s key players?

WashU boasts one of the deepest and most balanced rosters in Division III. Head coach Jim Conlon’s squad typically lines up in a 3-5-2 formation, with three center-backs, a midfield made up of two wingers and three central midfielders, and two strikers.

Junior forwards Grace Ehlert and Ella Koleno — who have combined for 16 goals and six assists this season — typically lead the line to start games, while first-year Olivia Clemons has been a threat off the bench for the Bears. Though Clemons hasn’t started a single match for the Bears, she has scored 17 goals, the most by a WashU player in a single season since 1998. 

Behind them, seniors Meryl McKenna and Gaelen Clayton run the wings, getting up and down the pitch to give defensive cover and provide width to the Bears’ attack. This season, McKenna has scored five goals, and Clayton has tallied six assists, tied for the most on the team with sophomore midfielder Sophie Viscovich. Viscovich mostly operates as an attacking midfielder, lining up alongside the Bears’ deep roster of center-mids, including junior Kaci Karl, sophomore Jadyn Aling, and first-years Cami Colpitts and Kate Martin. 

While the Bears’ midfield often keeps the ball in their attacking half of the pitch, their backline is more than capable of stepping up when needed. Led by graduate-student goalkeeper Sidney Conner, who returned for a final season after being named a First Team All-American in 2023, WashU has allowed just six goals in 19 matches. Graduate student Ally Hackett — who transferred from the University of North Carolina Greensboro last season — lines up in the center of a back-three, alongside senior Emma Riley McGahan, who was named to an All-UAA First-Teamer last season. Sophomore Regan Cannon and senior Olivia Foster have split time on the other side of the defense.

First-year Olivia Clemons leads WashU with 17 goals, the most by any WashU player in 26 years. (Brandon Juarez-Ramos | Contributing Photographer)

Who is WashU playing in the NCAA Tournament?

WashU’s first opponent, DePauw University, is a familiar foe. On Sept. 13, WashU defeated the Tigers, champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference, 4-0. WashU has an all-time record of 11-1 against DePauw, with their one loss coming in 2006.

If the Bears win, they will face either UW–La Crosse or Simpson. Last season, WashU hosted UW–La Crosse in an Elite Eight thriller, where the Bears prevailed thanks to an equalizer late in extra time by sophomore Julia Moore and a penalty-shootout victory. In 2024, the Eagles won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and would be a tough second-round matchup for WashU. 

Simpson enters the tournament with a 14-2-3 record. The team made it to the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Championship, beating Wartburg 1-0 in the semifinals before falling 3-2 to undefeated No. 11 Loras College in the A-R-C Championship.