​Photos by Emma LentzI don’t want to overreact four games into the season. Actually, never mind. This is West Virginia sports. Getting excited early is basically part of the deal.WVU women’s soccer is 4-0, ranked No. 7 in the country and has given Mountaineer fans plenty to be excited about already. The Mountaineers have outscored opponents 8-2 and outshot them 54-28 with wins over Dayton, then-No. 23 Penn State, Duquesne and Army.And this isn’t just a random four game hot streak. WVU hasn’t lost a regular season match since August of 2025 and is now unbeaten in 19 straight. The 4-0 start is also the program’s best since 2006.For reference, I was 2 years old in 2006, so I personally have no memory of this ever happening.Sophia Nickel Apparently Only Scores Important GoalsSophia Nickel has been one of the biggest reasons for the hot start. She has three goals through four games, and all three have been game winners. Even crazier, she has taken only five shots and all five have been on goal.Her biggest moment came against Penn State. WVU fell behind early before Olivia Shertzer tied it from more than 30 yards out and Nickel scored the winner in the second half. The 2-1 victory was WVU’s first over Penn State since 2017 and helped send the Mountaineers from No. 22 all the way to No. 7 in the national rankings.A 15 spot jump will definitely get some attention.Finding Ways to WinThe Mountaineers have also shown they can win when things don’t go perfectly. WVU was scoreless with Duquesne for more than 75 minutes before scoring twice late. Against Army, Saige Wimes scored in the 86th minute to break a 1-1 tie and keep the perfect start alive.It has NOT been one player doing everything, either. Six different Mountaineers have already scored this season, which is a good sign with Big 12 play getting closer.Marshall Comes to MorgantownNow things get a little more interesting.Marshall comes to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium Sunday at 7 p.m. for the first WVU-Marshall women’s soccer game in Morgantown since 2011. It’s also WVU’s Gold Rush and Alumni Game. The history favors the Mountaineers. WVU is 5-0 all-time against Marshall and has outscored the Thundering Herd 13-0 in those meetings. The Mountaineers also won 2-0 when the teams met in Huntington last season.Even though it’s a nonconference game, there is always something a little different about playing another school from your own state. Add in WVU’s undefeated start, a No. 7 ranking and some in state bragging rights, and Sunday suddenly becomes a pretty fun early season matchup.Four games is still four games and there is plenty of soccer left to play, but WVU is undefeated, climbing the rankings and finding different ways to win.And if the Mountaineers make it 5-0 on Sunday?Then maybe we can start overreacting just a little bit more.