After winning their third straight conference championship, women’s soccer enters the NCAA tournament as the nation’s No. 1 seed. (Riley Herron | Editor-in-Chief)

For the third straight season, WashU women’s soccer will kick off its playoff run at home, with its first game scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. The Bears enter the tournament as Division III’s strongest team and the clear number-one seed. After losing in the 2023 national championship game, WashU has been nearly perfect, winning the 2024 national title in dominant fashion and entering the 2025 postseason on a 43-game unbeaten streak with just four draws in that stretch. 

Though the Bears are no strangers to the postseason, the NCAA tournament will once again prove a new challenge for WashU, with every game coming against elite opponents with the season on the line. 

“Being in the NCAA tournament is always an honor,” head coach Jim Conlon wrote after their final regular season game. “It is hard to get there — we will focus on being good at the basics.”

After a grueling season in the University Athletic Association (UAA), D-III’s strongest conference, the Bears are well-equipped to face tough opposition. Competing in a conference that is sending seven teams to the NCAA tournament, the Bears set themselves apart from the pack. With six wins and one draw in conference play, the Bears cruised to a third consecutive UAA title.

Along the way, the Bears won crucial road matchups against some of the nation’s best, beating then-No. 3 Case Western Reserve University on Oct. 11 and then-No. 2 Emory University on Oct. 26. Though WashU tied the No. 7 University of Chicago in their final conference game Nov. 8, the Bears enter the tournament battle-tested and ready to take on some of the nation’s most formidable teams.

WashU typically overwhelms opponents with a high-powered offense, averaging 3.72 goals and 23.3 shots per game this season. After a breakout first-year season, sophomore forward Olivia Clemons has been a star for the Bears, being named the UAA’s Offensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. Though she typically comes off the bench, Clemons adds a spark to the WashU offense and leads the team with 15 goals this season. Other players to watch are senior forward Grace Ehlert, who was a First-Team All-American last season and has scored 12 goals for WashU this season, and senior forward Ella Koleno, a key playmaker with a team-high 10 assists. 

Junior midfielder Sophie Viscovich was one of seven Bears named to the All-UAA teams. (Bobby Kaplan | Staff Photographer)

The Bears dominate most games by winning the midfield battle, and First Team All-UAA junior Sophie Viscovich and Second Team All-UAA sophomore Kate Martin lead a formidable midfield capable of controlling possession. Behind them, the WashU backline consistently steps up when needed to shut down opponents, allowing just six goals in the entire 2025 season. In total, seven Bears — Clemons, Ehlert, Koleno, Viscovich, Martin, junior forward Madi Foley, and junior goalkeeper Kassidy Lanthier — earned All-UAA honors.

WashU will start the tournament at home against Wilmington College, who is competing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003 after winning the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) tournament. The Bears are heavy favorites in the match. Both WashU and Wilmington played Centre College this year; the Bears easily beat Centre 5-1, while Wilmington lost 1-0. The Quakers are led by seniors Alex Wilson and Jordan Snyder, who were the two leading goal-scorers in the OAC this season.

If the Bears beat Wilmington, they will face either Loras College or North Central College in the second round. Loras, the American Rivers Conference (ARC) champions, boasts Division III’s strongest defense, having conceded just two goals all season. Senior Sierra Morgano, the ARC’s Defensive Most Valuable Performer, is a key figure in their back line. WashU has played Loras seven times, holding a 4-2-1 record against Duhawks.

North Central, who won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) for the third straight season, is led by junior Jordan Lange, who holds team-highs with 11 goals and 9 assists and senior Kassandra Saviola, who was recently named the CCIW’s Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season. WashU has played North Central twice, beating them 1-0 in September and 5-1 last season. 

As the hosts of their bracket, the Bears will enter the opening weekend as favorites to advance to the second weekend. However, Loras or North Central both bring the momentum of a conference championship win and strong defenses that could be difficult for WashU to break down. To sweep the first two rounds, WashU will have to be in its best form.