Womens Soccer Continues Run of Success

Saint+Louis+freshman+midfielder+Olivia+Petit+has+been+selected+the+Atlantic+10+Conference+women%E2%80%99s+soccer+Offensive+Player+of+the+Week+and+Rookie+of+the+Week+for+the+period+of+Oct.+9-15.

Saint Louis Athletics

Saint Louis freshman midfielder Olivia Petit has been selected the Atlantic 10 Conference women’s soccer Offensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week for the period of Oct. 9-15.

Women’s Soccer was in action all across the country over the last two weeks. SLU hosted A-10 rival Dayton before road trips to George Washington and Rhode Island, with a final trip back home for Senior Day against Richmond. Women’s Soccer posted a 3-0-1 record during this conference battle.

The action for Women’s Soccer began with a Thursday night matchup on Oct. 5 against Dayton. Like most games this season, the scoring didn’t begin until the second half, despite SLU outshooting the Flyers 8-2 in the first half. Dayton opened scoring in the 55th minute, gathering a deflection off the crossbar. They wouldn’t have the lead for long, though. Just four minutes later, freshman midfielder Olivia Petit scored off a free kick from sophomore midfielder Courtney Reimer. Petit had nothing but good things to say about Reimer.

“Courtney’s free kicks are amazing. She always knows where to play them, and every time she gets on the ball, it’s a perfect service.”

Both teams continued to battle, but neither team scored again, resulting in a 1-1 draw after the second overtime.

SLU Women’s Soccer made a quick turnaround and headed to Washington, D.C., for more A-10 play, this time against George Washington. SLU dominated all around, outshooting the Colonials 10-8 and being on the upside of an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks. While these stats were impressive, SLU just could not find the net. Many were expecting another OT game, but sophomore defender Alli Klug used her head off a Reimer corner kick, scoring her first career game-winning goal with just 36 seconds left in regulation.

SLU’s successes continued with a 2-0 win over Rhode Island on Thursday, Oct. 12. Both goals came in the first half with Klug again connecting off a Reimer corner kick in the sixth minute. SLU scored an insurance tally with Petit converting a PK in the 40th minute. SLU continued charging in the second half, out-shooting Rhode Island 8-3, but couldn’t score again.

Senior day brought even more success for the Billikens, with a 3-0 rout of A-10 foe Richmond. Being Senior Day, this was already exciting for the team and fans. However, this win marked a milestone for head coach Katie Shields, who notched her 50th career victory as SLU’s head coach. SLU got to work right away, scoring in the 17th minute. Sophomore midfielder Evie Lavelle connected off assists from Reimer and Petit. Just three minutes later, Petit added a tally, assisted by Reimer.

The final insurance tally came just three minutes into the second half, with sophomore forward Alyssa Seitzer sending a shot into the bottom-right corner. In addition, Petit notched a second assist in the game. In typical Women’s Soccer fashion, Shields wasn’t focused on records, including her 50th win at the helm of the program.

“I honestly wasn’t even aware of [the win milestone] going into the game.” Shields also spoke to the triumph and team spirit of the senior class. “They’re awesome. As I told the team before the game, none of them really had an easy four years. They all had their own adversity… this group was never about themselves…it was always about the team.”

Women’s Soccer hosts the final home game of the regular season tomorrow at 7 p.m. vs. UMass before wrapping up conference play in Fordham on Sunday, Oct. 22. Looking ahead to the postseason, SLU could host an A-10 quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, Oct. 28. The team currently sits second in A-10 standings and needs to stay in the top four to secure home field advantage in the quarterfinals.