Riding the momentum of the team's national semifinal run the year prior, the 2025 edition of the Emory women's soccer team proved to be the most successful season in program history as the Eagles returned to the NCAA Final Four for the second consecutive season as well as an appearance in the national championship game for the second time ever.
The Eagles won a school-record 21 games, posting an overall record of 21-2-1, while setting team records for shutouts (18), points scored (199), goals (70) and shots on goal (252).
Emory was headlined by a trio of All-Americans, the most by the Eagles in a single-season, with senior Michelle Davidson and junior Kaitlyn Nimmer landing spots on the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team, and senior goalkeeper Sophia Garcia marking a spot on the All-America Third Team. Davidson capped off her dominant Emory career with additional honors as she was tabbed as the NCAA Division III Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Performer and the University Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Additionally, sophomore Mikayla Camp had a historic postseason run for the Eagles as she scored five goals, including three game-winners, to be named the United Soccer Coaches National Postseason Player of the Year. Camp was one of three Eagles tabbed to the NCAA DIII All-Tournament Team alongside Davidson and junior Madison Teng.
Nimmer, Camp and Teng excelled for the Eagles on the offensive side of the ball with Nimmer leading the team in goals (13), assists (12) and points, with her 38-point total representing the fourth-most by a player in Emory women's soccer single-season history. Camp matched Nimmer for the team lead in goals while Teng notched eight goals and seven assists to finish third on the team with 23 points. The trio were among seven players with 10 points or more on the season as well as amongst nine players with three goals or more.
To go along with the offensive success, the Eagles boasted one of the strongest defensive units not only in Emory history but also in recent NCAA memory backed by Davidson and Garcia. The Eagles allowed just nine goals to rank 11th in Division III with an 0.375 goals against average with 18 of the 24 contests ending in a clean sheet.
The Eagles opened the year with a statement victory, knocking off Division II's No. 2 ranked squad, Columbus State, 3-2 in a thrilling comeback win under the lights at the Woodruff PE Center.
The win spearheaded a historic start to the season as the Eagles won their first 10 contests, starting the season at 10-0 for the first time in program history while outscoring opponents by a 38-4 margin.
The winning streak was halted with a scoreless stalemate at No. 16 Carnegie Mellon on October 5th before the Eagles rattled off another four straight victories to stand at 14-0-1 on the season, ascending to a No. 1 national ranking for the first time since 2012.
Following a statement win over previously unbeaten No. 3 UChicago on October 24th, the top-ranked Eagles put their undefeated season on the line in a Senior Day showdown with No. 2 ranked WashU on October 26. The Bears however came away with the 2-1 decision to hand Emory its first loss of the season in game 16.
The Eagles bounced back with back-to-back 1-0 verdicts on the road against top 20 foes No. 5 Case Western Reserve and No. 15 Rochester to finish the regular season with a 16-1-1 record. The win over the Yellowjackets also marked a milestone win in the career of Head Coach Sue Patberg with the victory representing the 400th of her storied career.
As the postseason run began, the Eagles were handed one of the top overall seeds in the 64-team field and started its campaign with regional hosting duties during the opening weekend. Emory advanced to its third Sweet 16 over the last four years with dominant displays against Belhaven (6-0) and Rhodes (2-0) and headed to Lexington, Virginia for the sectional rounds.
In the Round of 16, Camp announced her presence to the national audience with two goals in a 3-1 rout of Johns Hopkins University before recording the game-winning goal the following afternoon as the Eagles defeated Pomona-Pitzer, 1-0, to reach the national semifinals for the second straight season and third time in program history.
The Eagles returned to the state of Virginia two weeks later for the final rounds of the 2025 soccer season and put forth another stellar showcase to open the NCAA Final Four in Salem. Camp and Teng led the Eagles to a 3-0 blanking of Tufts University to see Emory reach the national championship game for the second time ever and first appearance since 2012.
The national title was a rematch of the October 26th showdown between the UAA heavyweights in Atlanta with the Eagles going up against reigning national champions, the WashU Bears, looking to avenge their lone loss of the season to that point. Emory fired the opening salvo with a Teng goal in the 22nd minute and held the 1-0 advantage until the 68th minute when the Bears scored the first of their two goals within a two-minute span to regain the lead en route to the national championship.
In addition to the three All-America honors, the Eagles saw five land spots on the All-Region team with Patberg claiming Region VI Coach of the Year honors. Furthermore, Emory had seven players recognized with All-UAA acclaim, including four on either the First or Second Teams, as well as UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Emory's postseason appearance represented the program's seven consecutive appearance in the tournament – the longest streak in team history.
The Eagles earned the following awards in the 2025 season.
