Sophomore Cami Colpitts fights for a ball with a Rose-Hulman defender on Sept. 7. (Anna Kwok | Contributing Photographer)

The No. 5 WashU women’s soccer team defeated Rhodes College 3-0 on the road on Sept. 21. This win came less than 24 hours after the Bears beat University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) 6-0 on Sept. 20. This win asserts the Bears’ dominance over the Lynx, as it is their tenth time in a row winning this matchup. While WashU fell in the United Soccer Coaches rating after drawing Trine University last week, they regained their momentum with the weekend sweep.

The Bears started the first half hot against UMHB. Within just the first minute of the game, WashU had two shot attempts. The Bears showed their dominance in the first half by controlling possession and firing 22 shots, compared to the Crusaders’ singular attempt.

Even though they were controlling the game, it took the Bears most of the first half to finally get on the scoresheet. After a free kick followed by a shot deflected off the post, first-year forward Heidi Fesler connected off of a pass from junior Sophie Viscovich to bring the score to 1- 0. This duo had more success just five minutes later: Opposite to their last play, Viscovich was able to score on a pass from Fesler. 

This successful duo reflects head coach Jim Conlon’s holistic approach to allowing first-years to be successful through the mentorship of upperclassmen. 

“The freshmen have been able to shine, sticking to the gift that they brought into the program,” Conlon said. “The upperclassmen are also doing a great job of mentoring them and making them feel comfortable in our program. It is a holistic approach from the upperclassmen all the way through the rookies, but everyone’s contributing in their own way.”

The Bears started their second half scoring spree in the 61st minute. Sophomore midfielder Cami Colpitts scored the Bears’ third goal off of a corner kick on a high ball. Just two minutes later, senior forward Grace Ehlert scored her seventh goal of the season off of an assist from sophomore forward Olivia Clemons. The Bears’ momentum continued, and they tallied a fifth goal just eight minutes later when senior forward Ella Koleno launched the ball into the upper left corner of the net. 

The game seemed like it was going to end in a 5-0 win, but the Bears still had more up their sleeves with their first-year substitutes. With less than two minutes left in the game, Fesler’s second goal of the game gave WashU a 6-0 lead. 

The Bears dominated the Crusaders, but WashU’s advantage could have been even higher. WashU put up an impressive 31 shots, 15 of which were on goal, compared to UMHB, which only took five shots the entire game. Sophomore goalkeeper Kassidy Lanthier kept a clean sheet, and has only allowed one goal throughout the season.

To round out the weekend, the WashU women’s soccer team stayed strong as they pulled out a 3-0 win against Rhodes, just 24 hours after their last victory. With the Bears pulling out a win in their last 10 matchups against Rhodes, the team was ready to take on the Lynx a year later, after their 3-0 win in 2024. 

The Lynx goalie kept the ball out of the net for most of the first half, but Ehlert put an end to that with the first goal 26 minutes into the game. 

“I was just in the right place at the right time to help … get some momentum for the team. It was a great team goal overall,” Ehlert said.

The Bears managed only a couple more shots before the end of the first half, all being stopped by the Lynx goalkeeper or flying high over the crossbar. 

The Bears were able to overcome this when they changed their strategy and mindset in the second half.

“I think they have to refocus on understanding what each individual’s gifts were and what the team focus was,” Conlon said. “This really allowed us to propel ourselves in the second half.”

Just 10 minutes into the half, junior Jadyn Aling came flying down from midfield for a big shot and goal, bringing the score to 2-0. 

“That’s just what happens when our team comes together … good things happen for us,” Aling said.

Rhodes’ defense was a bit shaken up as the Bears stayed steady through multiple substitutions and constant pressure. The ball stayed on the Bears’ side of the field for most of the second half, allowing for multiple corner kick attempts. At the 59th minute, first-year Noelle Dolan was able to connect with a corner kick to tap in the ball for a 3-0 lead. 

While the rest of the game stayed pretty busy, with a bicycle attempt from first-year Ridley Newton and many big shots on goal that flew over the crossbar, the final score came out to 3-0. The Bears showed a total 28 shots, with 10 on goal, while the Lynx were only able to manage three total shots, with only two being on goal, which were stopped by Lanthier.

The Bears will continue their road trip as they travel to Danville, Kentucky, to play Centre College on Sept. 27. Their travels will take them to Decatur, Illinois, to take on Millikin University on Sept. 30. The first UAA matchup will follow shortly after on Oct. 4 against Brandeis University.