They say “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” but the Division III national championship trophy is coming home to St. Louis with the WashU women’s soccer team. For the second time in program history, the Bears are national champions, after defeating No. 11 William Smith College 3-0 on Dec. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Late in the second half of their Elite Eight matchup against University of Chicago, the No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team was struggling to find a breakthrough. The conference rivals — who had tied their last five matches against each other — were locked in a defensive stalemate on Francis Field with a Final Four spot on the line.

Sophomore Sophie Viscovich has had a successful soccer career at WashU so far, being named as an All-UAA Honorable Mention in both of her first two collegiate seasons. Student Life sat down with Viscovich to discuss how she was introduced to soccer, her time on the WashU women’s soccer team, and her life outside the game.

With their two early goals, the Bears lit a flame that never went out. The Bears added three more goals before halftime, and despite conceding mid-way through the second half, defeated the Simpson Storm 5-1. Just a day after kicking off their playoff campaign with a 2-0 victory over DePauw University, the Bears locked up a spot in the round of 16 for the eighth season in a row.

One year later, the Bears are back on the prowl for the program’s second-ever national championship, and their journey to Las Vegas kicks off in St. Louis this weekend.

For the first time since 2018, the No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team ends the regular season unbeaten.

 In the face of pressure, the Bears excelled once again, beating the Yellowjackets 2-0 to earn their second straight UAA championship and an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA tournament. The conference title is the 17th in program history,  and the Bears have now won at least a share of nine of the last 10 conference championships.

A win over Rochester next weekend would clinch a second-straight UAA title for WashU and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the tournament.

The University Athletic Association (UAA) is one of Division III’s most difficult conferences for women’s soccer, hosting six nationally ranked programs. Currently, the No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team shares the top spot in the UAA with No. 3 Carnegie Mellon University — both with perfect 3-0 conference records.

In an ever-changing world of college sports, the strength of the WashU women’s soccer team’s defense has remained constant. Over the past decade, the Bears have allowed only 94 goals — less than 10 per season.