Tranquility Park in Omaha was anything but tranquil on Monday afternoon. The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team notched a defiant 2-1 come-from-behind victory over a physical Creighton team. The Billikens persevered through the 95-degree heat and Creighton’s physical play to win the season opener.
The Bluejays struck first, 19 minutes into the contest. Sara Hovland hit a corner kick into the middle of the box. Creighton sent four players deep in the box. Lulu Quigley headed the kick past keeper Meghann Burke.
Neither team generated much offense in the first half, with both teams recording only three shots. SLU captured the momentum after halftime and never relinquished it. Their offense took over in the half, outshooting the Bluejays 9-5.
The Billikens tied the contest five minutes into the second half. A scramble ensued in Creighton’s box. Freshman midfielder Ellen Gerweck and junior midfielder Shannon Myers knocked the ball loose. The ball rolled to junior midfielder Katie Zaegel and she fired a shot that beat Creighton keeper Jamie Thompson on the left side.
“We knew what their defense was doing throughout the first half,” said Zaegel. “They used a lot of square passes. Their sweeper played the ball outside, and we picked it off.”
SLU broke the tie with just under a minute left in the first overtime. Creighton gained possession in their defensive half of the field, but passed the ball right to junior midfielder Erin Schwetye. She found freshman forward Jamie Perry, who froze Thompson with a shot in the lower left corner.
“It was a random goal,” said Perry. “The goalie didn’t even move. I cut right, and I guess she guessed I was going right. I cut back to the left, and the keeper just wasn’t there.”
“It was a tough, physical game,” said coach Tim Champion. “We played well, considering the conditions. It was one of the biggest games of the year for Creighton. It was a good win, especially being down 1-0. We fought through their physical play in the first half. That’s the sign of a mature team-the ability to fight through the tough parts of games and still win.
“We looked a little shaky in the first half, but we played well in the second,” Champion added. “Katie Zaegel played well and scored. Tressa Pecher did very well at sweeper. Jamie Perry played well. I really thought it would be more difficult for her to adjust to the physical play. But she adapted quickly.”
The Billikens continue their four-game swing on the road this weekend. They travel to Charlottesville, Va for the University of Virginia Tournament. SLU faces Auburn on Friday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. It will be the first time the programs have met. Auburn opened the season 2-0 with wins over Georgia State and UT-Chattanooga after finishing last season 13-7-0.
Senior forward Tammy Waine scored three goals in the first two games. She led the Tigers in scoring last season with 35 points in just 12 games. Auburn received votes in the Central Region in this week’s Soccerbuzz.com poll.
SLU then squares off against West Virginia on Sunday, Sept 9 at noon. It will be the first-ever contest between the two squads. The Mountaineers, who notched a 15-6 record last season and made the NCAA Tournament, won their first two contests of the season. WVA defeated St. John’s 5-1 in the season opener and then beat Hofstra 2-1 in double-overtime. The Mountaineers fired 50 shots on goal in the first two games. Katie Barnes, Chrissie Abbot and Rachel Kruze picked up five points each in the first two matches.
“It’s good to travel and play against teams that aren’t in your conference and not in your region,” Champion said. “We expect two good games. Hopefully, we’ll beat them and they’ll do well. This weekend provides us the opportunity to play against teams that are or could be ranked this season. They’ll give us a good idea of where we stand nationally.
