First-year Sebastian Valdes dribbles past a defender in men’s soccer’s win over Carnegie Mellon. (Ben Ganz | Contributing Photographer)

Last season, the WashU men’s soccer team won just two games in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. But so far this year, the team is crushing its conference competition, holding sole possession of first place in the conference and boasting three wins against conference opponents in as many games. 

“It’s always hard to get three points [a win] in the UAA,” head coach Andrew Bordelon said as the No. 3 WashU men’s soccer team narrowly defeated Carnegie Mellon University 1-0 on Oct. 19. “We played exactly how we wanted to approach this match.” 

 Despite the close score, the Bears maintained their dominant form for most of the game, leading to their fourth consecutive shutout on this 10-game win streak. 

The strength of WashU’s squad was on full display on this brisk and windy Sunday morning. It did not take WashU very long to get on the offensive. Just seven minutes into play, first-year Sebastian Valdes had a blocked shot on goal, but this did not deter the Bears. Five minutes later, first-year midfielder Daniel Kochen saw an opening and fired a ball past the goalkeeper’s hand into the top left corner of the net.

“There wasn’t too much going on in my head,” Kochen said about the goal. “I was just playing through instinct and wanted to help the team”.

Despite the quick 1-0 lead, the Bears’ offense kept buzzing, controlling possession in the attacking third of the field. WashU had two more scoring opportunities in the first half from juniors Ethan Wirtschafter and Quentin Gomez, with one shot being saved by the goalie and the other by the crossbar. The Bears went into halftime with only a one-goal advantage, yet a 7-1 overall shot differential.

At the start of the second half, WashU looked to extend its lead, and Carnegie Mellon hoped to tie the game. Both teams were aggressive on offense, but the score remained steady. The Bears were able to get the ball into the box multiple times, but shots by Kochen, first-year Miles Newman, and sophomore Quentin Wallace all missed the net or hit the crossbar yet again. However, the Tartans would not let the Bears cruise to victory. In the final 15 minutes of the matchup, Carnegie Mellon took six corner kicks, leading to some close-range shots. Nonetheless, the WashU defense held strong with junior goalkeeper Cal L’Hommedieu making three saves to hold on to the lead.  

“[In] the last 15 minutes, it was more back and forth, but we were able to win the duels [we] needed to make sure we kept the clean sheet,” Bordelon said.

After last year’s 8-5-3 season, WashU added 14 new players to the 2025 roster, hoping to gain more games in the win column. Now, over halfway through the season, the Bears have proven to do so with an 11-1 record. Kochen is a standout among the newcomers fueling this surge. The Spanish star has scored five goals in 12 matches, including the Bears’ sole goal against Carnegie Mellon.

“It’s definitely been an adjustment for me,” Kochen said about his transition to collegiate-level soccer. “But, honestly, having my team supporting me, the coaches, and a huge support network, that’s helped me.”

The Bears haven’t lost a game since Aug. 31, with their impressive play leading them atop the UAA standings, as they move to 3-0 in conference play with their victory over the Tartans.

WashU has a big week of preparation as it takes to the road to face the University of Rochester and its toughest test yet, No. 2 Emory University, on Oct. 24 and 26, respectively. The possible top-five matchup against the Eagles has been one to look forward to and will be a battle for the Bears as they prepare for the playoffs. Emory has started 11-0-2 and is third in D-III by goal differential, outscoring opponents 40 to 6. With this intense matchup on the horizon, WashU is taking it one step at a time and focusing on bettering its already high level of play.

“We just got to think about the next game right now,” Kochen said. “Taking it day by day and training our hardest and improving every day”.