The University of Chicago men’s soccer team made history in more ways than one on Saturday after capping their undefeated season with a shutout victory to claim its first-ever national championship.
Led by first-year coach Julianne Sitch, the top-seeded Maroons etched their spot in the record books by defeating the Ephs of Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.), 2-0, in the NCAA Division III final in Salem, Va. The victory added a thrilling stamp to a sensational year for Chicago (22-0-1) and Sitch, who became the first woman to coach a NCAA men’s soccer team to a national title.
Saturday’s dominant win comes nearly eight months after Sitch, a 14-year pro who retired in 2015, agreed to become Chicago’s head coach in April.