To say that freshman Jack Jewsbury has been frustrated recently would be an understatement. After scoring five goals-three of them being game winners-in his first 10 games as a collegian, Jewsbury has gone scoreless in his last five games and has a nagging groin injury that limits the amount of action he sees.
But those things didn’t appear to bother him on Wednesday night about seven minutes into overtime. Jewsbury scored the game-winning goal at the 96:47 mark of overtime to give the Billikens a 4-3 win over Marquette in the first game played at the newly named Robert H. Hermann Stadium. With the win, SLU improved to 13-2-1 overall and 6-1-0 in Conference USA.
“It feels good to get one,” said Jewsbury. “Maybe they’ll start coming more often again, to build my confidence back up.”
Jewsbury’s goal came on a cross from Jason Mims in the left corner. Mims dribbled to the endline and then sent a ball towards the middle of the penalty area. Jason Vijil ran on to the ball but missed. Jewsbury, though marked by a Golden Eagle defender, managed to dive and get his head on the ball. His header beat Marquette goalie Todd Schramm to the near post from six yards out.
“Jackie needed that,” men’s coach Bob Warming said. “Jackie’s been frustrated. He’s just been one half step off.”
Mims and Jewsbury’s heroics saved what was going to be a debacle by the Billikens. The play in the first half was choppy, as both teams split time in each other’s offensive ends. But neither team could manage any quality chances.
But the Bills went up 1-0 on a goal by Vijil in the 38th minute. Dominic DaPra flicked the ball over to Vijil off a Marty Tappel throw-in. Vijil volleyed the ball past keeper Greg Guglielmino to the near post.
Marquette drew level terms three minutes into the second half. Bryan Godfrey ran unmarked through the penalty box to hit a header past goalie Paul Nagy.
But SLU took little time in responding. Nick Bokern held the ball about 25 yards away from the goal, waiting for a passing lane to open. He found Mims bolting past Marquette’s defense in the center of the penalty area. Mims was one-on-one with the keeper and beat him with a shot over his head from six yards away in the 52nd minute.
Less than one minute later, Vijil struck again. Vedad Alagic crossed a ball to the face of the goal where Vijil leaped above a Golden Eagle defender and headed the ball just under the crossbar. SLU seemed to be in control with a 3-1 lead.
But Marquette didn’t yield to SLU. The Golden Eagles consistently sent crosses into the penalty box, but couldn’t connect. But in the 74th minute Marquette finally did connect. Tom Nolan cleaned up a misplay by Nagy by heading the ball into a vacated net. Then in the 80th minute, Sean Reti blasted a goal from 30 yards out to the far right post.
Despite Marquette’s comeback, Warming wasn’t disconcerted.
“If we were playing lousy teams, I’d be concerned. But we’re not playing lousy teams,” Warming said. “It’s a conference game. It’s never over.”
Reti’s rocket made the game more interesting before regulation ended. In the 86th minute, the Golden Eagles had a chance to go up 4-3. But Nolan headed a ball less than one foot over the crossbar.
The win assures SLU of a second-place finish in the conference and a bye in the C-USA Tournament in two weeks. If Cincinnati tops UAB this weekend, then the Bills can claim the C-USA title.
“This was the most important game,” Warming said.
But the Bills are still going to take things one game at a time.
“Once we get the (remaining) three games under our belt, then we can concentrate on the conference tournament,” senior defender David Williams said. “We know we have the potential and we know we can be in the national championship.”
The Billikens take on the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Robert H. Hermann for their final regular season C-USA game.
