In both matches, the Bears showed their resilience, bouncing back to defeat Trine 8-1 — the team’s largest margin of victory in a season opener since 2013 — and besting Centre 2-1, opening their season with two decisive wins on Aug. 30 and Sept. 1.

As the fall semester gets into full swing, WashU sports made their return to competition this weekend. Though football, cross country, and women’s golf wait until next weekend for their 2024 debuts, WashU’s soccer teams and volleyball kicked off their season over the weekend. 

In the fall of 2023, women’s soccer was Washington University’s team to watch. With a fresh slate of games ahead of them, the Bears’ returning squad and new players have the potential to be just as exciting this fall.

“We’re exactly where we want to be. We worked pretty hard and played really well against super-talented and very strong opponents. So there were no hard feelings. We’re just looking forward to getting back on the field for our next game,” senior goalkeeper Sid Conner said after the weekend’s matches. 

There are 1,893 NCAA men’s and women’s soccer teams. All but one of them have conceded a goal over the last two months. Eight games into its season, the Washington University women’s soccer team is the sole exception: college soccer’s only clean sheet. 

Both teams won a game this weekend, with the men’s team beating North Park and the women’s defeating Carthage after a draw against Loras.

From football to soccer and cross country, athletes and coaches have never been more excited to step back onto the field and compete with some modicum of normalcy.

2019 was an eventful year for the Bears. Here’s a look at the top 10 Wash. U. sports stories of the year.

In the last 20 minutes of both games that the Washington University women’s soccer team played this weekend, the Bears found themselves level on the scoreboard against a conference opponent. In both games, the Bears managed to convert late chances into game-winning goals, securing a 2-1 victory over No. 21 New York University on Friday and a 1-0 win over Brandeis University on Sunday.

I’ve had the misfortune of watching two of my favorite teams—each an apparent juggernaut in their sport—suffer unexpected losses this season. In the moments after these losses, I felt the urge to overreact, but as time went on, I felt something I hadn’t expected: relief.