College sports are full of surprises, but the consistent dominance of WashU’s soccer program is not one of them. Both the No. 14 men’s and the No. 1 women’s teams return to play after spectacular 2025 season runs, with the women notably winning their second consecutive (and third overall) national championship, and the men winning the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. With such impressive results came lofty expectations for the 2026 season, but both teams proved they were ready to meet them in their season openers on Sept. 1 — despite the sweltering heat. 

WashU soccer has a long tradition of success at the NCAA Division III level. The men’s program was especially dominant in the late ’70s and ’80s, when they reached the NCAA Final Four five times. Since their last semifinals appearance in 1987, they have made 24 NCAA Tournament appearances. 

However, a ticket to the postseason hasn’t always been guaranteed for the men’s team, as their only other recent NCAA Tournament appearances were in 2016 and 2021. Still, the Bears continue to show improvement with each year and are on track to hold a stronger national presence this season.

The women’s team has taken WashU Athletic’s tradition to another level, becoming one of D-III’s premier programs. Following runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2015, the team captured their first championship in 2016, beating out Messiah University in a gritty penalty shootout. 

More recently, WashU women’s soccer has cemented their status as a true dynasty, remaining undefeated since December 2023 and winning back-to-back national championships in 2024 and 2025. Their stellar performance these past couple of years has put them in a position to become the first women’s soccer team to achieve a three-peat since University of California San Diego in the late ‘90s.

(Bobby Kaplan | Staff Photographer)

No. 1 women’s soccer

If there were ever any questions about the women’s ability to defend their national championship for the second year in a row, they answered emphatically on Tuesday night, opening their season with a dominant 14-0 blowout over the Greenville University Panthers. 

The win set several records for WashU women’s soccer, including most points in a half, with 9 in the first, and largest margin of victory. Two Bears, junior Cami Colpitts and sophomore Maya Stevenson, scored hat tricks, with Colpitts achieving hers in the first half alone. Additionally, the Bears’ defense did not allow a single shot on goal — a stark contrast from the offense, which took 31 shots.

The game seemed to be over as soon as it started. From all angles, this looked like a historically dominant victory to open the season, but you wouldn’t know it if you asked head coach Jim Conlon.

“I thought we had some good unselfish runs that turned into goals,” Conlon said. “But at the end of the day, we’re still only 1-0.”

Conlon and his team have been here before. When they opened the 2025 season as national champions, the team blew out Westminster College in similar fashion, 8-0. That performance proved to be a sign of what was to come: the Bears putting on another remarkable season and eventually capturing their second consecutive NCAA championship. This year, the bar is even higher, and the Bears will look to be the second soccer program in D-III history to win it all three years in a row.

Conlon attributed Tuesday’s win to the team’s championship mentality and the work they put in behind the scenes. 

“Our women’s mindset has been great all year,” Conlon said. “It was very evident when they came back to the season that they were ready to go. Obviously we’re not around them [during the offseason], so for them to come back like this is a huge credit to them.”

The women now turn their attention to their two-game roadtrip, with their next game taking place at Westminster College on Friday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m., followed by a game at Simpson College on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m.

(Bobby Kaplan | Staff Photographer)

No. 14 men’s soccer

WashU men’s soccer is starting the season strong with a 5-0 home victory against the Millikin University Big Blues on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The Bears dominated the match, maintaining possession for most of the game and taking six times as many shots on goal as the Big Blues (30 to 5). A 1-0 record for the Bears sets an exciting stage for the 2026 season.

“In the first game, you always want to get your season started on a strong note, and I think we did that today,” men’s soccer head coach Andrew Bordelon said. “A lot of people were able to contribute, and I think it shows the deep squad that we have.”

Sophomore midfielder Sebastian Valdes set the tone early, scoring the first goal for the Bears eight minutes into the game. First-year midfielder Henry Wong-Foy also had a memorable day, making his collegiate debut as a starter and scoring his first collegiate goal in minute 25 of the first half. The underclassmen have proven they will be a force to be reckoned with, as Valdes later went on to score a second goal in minute 29, propelling WashU’s lead to 3-0.

“[The sophomore] class is super close, and we are all super ambitious. And I think the [first-years] have the same energy as us,” Valdes said. “We all want to go win a national championship.”

As the underclassmen showed their strength, several upperclassmen demonstrated their experience. Senior forward Ethan Wirtschafter scored the fourth and fifth goals of the game and assisted Valdes for the first goal of the game. Senior defender Quentin Gomez held a strong defensive presence and helped the Bears keep the ball predominantly on the Big Blues’ side of the pitch.

“It’s the first time we’ve had a big group of seniors while we’ve been here,” senior goalkeeper Cal L’Hommedieu said. “We’re excited to help the younger guys get situated, and also we feel like we have a really deep squad.”

The senior class consists of 11 players — a much larger group of upperclassmen than seen in previous years.

“That senior class is unbelievable,” Bordelon said. “What they do to welcome all of the newcomers and integrate them as quickly as possible is something that is really, really outstanding.”

With this performance, men’s soccer has demonstrated they are capable of having a lot more success as the season progresses. 

“To come out with a good performance like this, to get a bunch of pretty quality goals, to keep a clean sheet and be able to get everyone on the team in as well is a big deal for us,” L’Hommedieu said. “We have a big two-game stretch in Chicago this weekend, and hopefully we can just keep it going.”

This weekend, the Bears will face North Park University and Elmhurst University in the Chicago area on Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 7, respectively. WashU’s next home game will be on Friday, Sept. 11, at 3 p.m. against Hanover College.