WashU’s men’s and women’s soccer teams traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Oct. 17, for a University Athletic Association (UAA) doubleheader against Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), but left with different results. While the women’s unbeaten streak continues, they drew their first tie of the 2026 season. The men held on for a hard-fought road victory.

No. 1 women’s soccer

Junior forward Olivia Clemons fires ball towards Wilmington College’s goal. (Jonah Glass | Staff Photographer)

Women’s soccer settled for a 1-1 draw with No. 12 CMU, snapping the Bears’ 13-game winning streak. The last time the Bears lost was Nov. 8, 2025 against the University of Chicago. Despite controlling the match and creating numerous opportunities, WashU couldn’t find a decisive second goal.

The draw was a rare stumble in a series WashU has historically dominated. The Bears lead the all-time series against this conference opponent 17-3-2, winning 3-0 in both 2024 and 2025. 

 The opening half was back and forth, but the Bears broke the deadlock just before halftime. Senior midfielder Sophie Viscovich received a pass from fellow senior midfielder Jadyn Aling and fired a shot from outside the 18-yard box into the top-left corner for her team-leading eighth goal of the season. Viscovich, encouraged by Head Coach Jim Conlon to shoot from distance, saw an opening and took it.

“I think something our team prides ourselves on is playing to the final whistle,” Viscovich said. “We’ve been working on that move in practice, starting from the back line up to the forwards, swinging it in the middle, and then just taking the chance in the last minute. [I] saw some space and thought one minute left, might as well hit it.”

After the break, WashU kept control, pinning CMU in their own half for much of the period. Despite WashU’s dominance, CMU found an equalizer in the 65th minute, capitalizing on a long ball to find the back of the net.

The Bears pushed for a winner in the closing stages, with Viscovich, first-year defender Grace Harper, and junior midfielder Emily Fox all testing the CMU goalkeeper with shots on goal. Despite the sustained pressure, the CMU back line held firm through the final whistle to secure the draw.

The Bears finished with a 14-6 advantage in shots, including a 7-5 edge in shots on goal, and earned 10 corner kicks to CMU’s two.

WashU returns home next weekend for two ranked UAA matchups, hosting No. 16 University of Rochester on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m., and No. 22 Emory University on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1:30 p.m.

“I think with the doubleheader weekend, we’re trying to really focus on one game at a time,” Viscovich said. “We are really just focusing on Rochester right now and hopefully getting the job done, so that we can move our mindset to Emory on Sunday.”

Men’s soccer

Sophomore forward Sebastian Valdes dribbles ball past opponent. (Brayden Weigelt | Contributing Photogtapher)

Men’s soccer defeated CMU 1-0 on Saturday, Oct. 17, as a second-half goal from senior midfielder Colin Link and stellar performance from senior goalkeeper Cal L’Hommedieu lifted the Bears to their second UAA win. With the victory, WashU improves to 9-2-3 overall and 2-1-0 in conference play.

The win continued WashU’s recent dominance over its conference rival, pushing the Bears’ unbeaten streak against CMU to eight matches. WashU now leads the all-time series 11-9-1. 

CMU started strong, testing L’Hommedieu twice early with two shots on goal. He turned away both attempts, and the match settled into a scrappy, back-and-forth affair. CMU created more chances to score in the first half, but WashU’s back line largely limited them to shots from distance, sending the teams into halftime scoreless.

The Bears came out of the break with renewed intensity. After the ball bounced around the box, first-year midfielder Nick Lam found Link, who was able to score in the 54th minute, putting WashU ahead.

“I felt like we were dominating the first 15 minutes of the second half,” Lam said. “I think it was just the intensity we started with. We were definitely on the front foot.”

CMU pushed for an equalizer but struggled to find the target. L’Hommedieu was forced to make a save shortly after the goal, but WashU’s defense held firm as CMU kept pressing. At the other end, Lam nearly doubled WashU’s lead late in the match, only to be denied by CMU’s goalkeeper.

The Bears return home to face Rochester at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. Ahead of another UAA matchup, Lam knows what the Bears need to focus on in practice to build on Saturday’s performance.

“I think just trying to create more chances offensively,” Lam said. “Get good opportunities and keep the intensity high.”