Men’s soccer looks to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021 (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

Not a single member of the WashU men’s soccer team has been with the team in NCAA tournament competition, a rarity for one of WashU’s most historically successful teams. This season, the Bears look to reverse the trend with a new-look squad.

Luckily for second-year head coach Andrew Bordelon, the team will stay mostly intact into the 2025 season. On offense, men’s soccer is led by reigning First Team All-UAA senior Zach Susee on the wing and junior Ethan Wirtschafter up front. Last year’s UAA Defensive Player of the Year junior Quentin Gomez will lead the Bears’ backline, flanked by All-UAA honorable mention junior Carter Sasser. 

WashU has been plagued with injuries during preseason, having lost key senior defender Nate Szpak, speedy forwards sophomore Jamie Lee and junior Noah Cooney for long periods of time. The Bears will look to their extensive first-year class to fill their void, while also pushing juniors Nik Avillo and Colin Link into more prominent roles.

The Bears welcomed 14 first-years to the program this year, injecting youth into a team that is looking for a spark in 2025. The incoming class includes midfielder Daniel Kochen, a product of FC Barcelona’s academy and the brother of Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen.  

In a boost to their tournament hopes, men’s soccer will not face a single opponent that was ranked in last year’s top 25 all season. Instead, WashU has stacked their non-conference schedule with games against local opponents like Webster University and Principia College before facing the typically daunting UAA schedule in October and November.