Members of the WashU Bears celebrate winning the NCAA Division III women’s soccer national championship. (Photo courtesy: WashU Athletics)
| NCAA Women’s Soccer | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| #3 William Smith (17-4-4) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #1 WashU (23-0-2) | 0 | 3 | 3 |
SCORING SUMMARY
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 50:33 |  | Ally Hackett (5) PENALTY KICK GOAL. |
| 76:15 | | Olivia Clemons (22) Unassisted. |
| 77:30 | | Gaelen Clayton (2) Unassisted.. |
Steven Millbrook
Special to the Editor
LAS VEGAS, NV — The Washington University women’s soccer team claimed its second national title in program history on Sunday, when the Bears defeated William Smith College, 3-0, in the NCAA Division III national championship game at Peter Johann Memorial Field on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
The Bears got goals from Ally Hackett, Olivia Clemons, and Gaelen Clayton — all in the second half — to bury the Herons and win WashU its second national championship trophy in women’s soccer program history.
The Bears wrap the season at 23-0-2, setting new program records for single-season wins (23), single-season winning percentage (.960), unbeaten streak with ties (25) and shutouts (18). It is the first time in program history the Bears have finished the season without a loss.
WashU now has 26 national championships in department history.
“It feels great, I’m really proud of these women,” WashU head coach Jim Conlon said. “We are fueled by Justin Hardy. William Smith is a fantastic team and we were able to capitalize on some openings. We tip our hats to William Smith, it was a great battle.”
WashU’s Olivia Clemons tries to find someone to pass to during Sunday’s NCAA Division III championship game. (Photo courtesy: WashU Athletics)
First-year Olivia Clemons finished the Final Four weekend with two goals and was named the All-Tournament Offensive Player while graduate goalkeeper Sidney Conner, graduate defender Ally Hackett, junior forward Grace Ehlert and Clemons were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
After playing a scoreless first half, a William Smith defender was whistled for a foul on Clemons in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Hackett stepped up and ripped the penalty kick into the goal, making it 1-0 for the Bears.
“I was so proud of Liv for drawing that foul, it was great work for our offense,” said Hackett. “We’ve practicing PKs for as long as I can remember. I was just happy to get up there and get the job done for my team.”
In the 77th minute, Clemons scored her team-leading 22nd goal of the season, putting her in third for single-season goals, all-time. Clemons made it through several defenders and scored past a diving William Smith goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.
Just over a minute later following a corner kick, senior Gaelen Clayton corralled the ball in front of the goal and fired in the Bears’ third goal of the game.
The Bears out-shot William Smith 20-10 with 10 shots on goal. Both teams had two corner kicks.
WashU remained atop the national rankings all season. After checking in at No. 2 in the preseason poll, the Bears were ranked No. 1 in every other poll the rest of the season.