Only a few weeks into their season, Wesleyan women’s soccer is already showing off the grit and talent that’s earned them NCAA tournament bids for the past three years. And this year, the goal is no different. The team is focusing on taking down opponents one by one, with the ultimate goal of establishing themselves as contenders for both the NESCAC and NCAA championships. 

In the first game of the season, the Red and Black faced the University of Mount Saint Vincent (UMSV) on Saturday, Sept. 7, hoping to capitalize on the opportunity an out-of-league game presented. The Cardinals came out strong, with first-year Sheridan Snow ’28 scoring her first collegiate goal nine minutes into the game. Snow’s goal signaled the beginning of an offensive onslaught for the Cards, who would net six more goals by six different goalscorers before the final whistle blew.

Captain and forward Katie O’Connell ’25, who had one goal and three assists in the game, said she was encouraged by Wesleyan’s strong opening performance, particularly because the Cards started the season ranked a disappointing No. 8 in the region.

“Beating [UMSV] was definitely a statement game for us,” O’Connell said. “Especially after seeing our ranking, it was important that we go out and we score a lot of goals against them.”

The Red and Black carried the offensive momentum into their next game, beating Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) 2–0 on the road on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Although this win continued to boost team morale, all eyes were focused on the weekend, when the Cardinals opened NESCAC play with a match at Hamilton, a team to which they suffered a 0–2 loss in the previous season, on Saturday, Sept. 14. However, Snow once again provided the spark the Cardinals needed, scoring her second goal of the season only three minutes into the game. Combined with a tally from fellow first-year Meredith Feiner ’28, the Red and Black were able to avenge last year’s loss with a statement 2–1 win. 

Feiner noted that the Hamilton game gave both her and Snow confidence in their ability to compete. 

“Since that was our first NESCAC game, we hadn’t really played at that level, and it’s definitely a higher, more physical level,” Feiner said. “So, now I feel like we’re more prepared to go into the rest of the season.”

According to captain and defender Caty Clements ’25, first year success on the field is a good indication of strong team chemistry.

“The freshmen coming in have just been insane,” she said. “Like, they’ve been able to contribute right away and give us so much depth. Seeing them come in right away is just kind of a testament that we’re able to make them confident, which feels really good.”

After the Hamilton game, the Cardinals had a week to prepare for their next NESCAC opponent, Bates, on Saturday, Sept. 21. History was on the Cards’ side; the Bobcats hadn’t managed to score a goal against the Red and Black since 2019. Still, it would prove to be a close game, with Wesleyan dominating every aspect of the game except the scoreboard. It wasn’t until O’Connell earned a penalty kick in the 74th minute that the Red and Black were able to take the lead, as Clements easily converted the opportunity into a game-winning goal. 

O’Connell said the Cards’ persistence at the end of the game was essential to their win.

“We out-gritted [Bates] in the last ten minutes of the game,” she said. “And it was proven by our play on the field that we wanted to win that game and that we were going to do whatever it took to win that game.”

Less than 24 hours later on Sunday, Sept. 22, the team would face their toughest opponent yet: No. 9 ranked Middlebury. Last year, the Cardinals had forced a draw against a talented Panther squad; goalkeeper Molly Brumbach ’26 made a career-high 14 saves in net. In some ways, this year’s meeting would prove to be no different, as the match ultimately ended in a 2–2 draw. However, the team showed major development from last season, stringing together offense and defense to launch a balanced attack. 

The Panthers took an early lead in the first half, but sophomore Maria Utz ’27 scored just seconds later to equalize the score. Middlebury went into halftime with a one-goal lead, but O’Connell continued to show her impressive goal-scoring abilities as she tied the game up just one minute into the second half. Despite a couple attempts from both teams in the remaining time, neither team was able to take the lead. 

Although the Red and Black didn’t walk away with a win, Brumbach said that the game against Middlebury was a testament to her team’s mental strength. 

“[Middlebury] have historically come out so hard, with such intensity, and we knew we had to match that,” Brumbach said. “I’m really proud of how we dealt with facing being down and coming back. I think it takes a lot of mental strength to be down and come back, and to do that twice really showed the character of our team.” 

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the Cardinals added to their record with a 1–0 win against Western Connecticut State University. O’Connell came in clutch for the Cards, netting the winning goal off of a penalty kick in the 68th minute. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Juliette Vemmer ’25 saw her first start of the season, racking up three saves in the shutout.

Buoyed by the win, the 5–0–1 Cardinals (2–0–1 in NESCAC play) will next face No. 22 Tufts in a home game Saturday, Sept. 28. In the teams’ last three matchups, the Cardinals have won twice, including a decisive 3–1 win last year. 

But O’Connell pointed to Tufts’ Final Four appearance last year, explaining that even though she and her teammates feel pressure to deliver on Saturday, they’re confident they’re up to the challenge.

“There’s a lot more expectation on [Tufts] to win than there is [on] us,” she said. “I think that underdog mentality is what has been driving us, especially with the lower rankings we’ve had compared to the teams we’ve played so far. [That’s] really given that drive to us to prove ourselves, and I think that this Saturday is another chance to do that.”

Audrey Nelson can be reached at aanelson@wesleyan.edu.
Georgia Adams can be reached at gadams@wesleyan.edu.