Watching pure athletes work is quite the spectacle. It’s not too often that you can go and see some of the nation’s top athletes perform. But this Friday night, we all have the chance to see athleticism at its finest.
Four years ago, as I entered my freshman year at SLU, I wasn’t expecting to see greatness coming out of anything with Saint Louis written on its chest. Without a big-time football program and Larry Hughes’ departure from the basketball team, I figured sports around the SLU campus would be as exciting as a night at Laclede Street Bar & Grill.
But as I entered the iron-gated institution we call SLU, three other gentlemen began their collegiate soccer careers.
And while I was making my impression on the intramural program, these guys were showing the country what excellence is on the soccer field.
Friday night at 7 p.m., at the Billiken Soccer Complex, we will have our first chance to see these guys play this season.
Yes, seniors Jason Cole, Jack Jewsbury and Nick Walls kick off their fourth and final season as Saint Louis University Billikens.
For four years these men have given their hearts and souls to SLU soccer.
The result: One of the top soccer teams in the country has created the most 90-minute periods of excitement since Basic Instinct.
Don’t let the Bills’ record fool you. Sure, with a 0-2-1 start to a season you might think I’m pulling your chain, but SLU has played one of the toughest schedules to date. They have lost to Marquette and North Carolina on the road and played to a tie against Wake Forest. I’m telling you, this team is special, all because of Cole, Jewsbury and Walls.
This threesome is not the only sight to see at Billiken games. After missing all of last season due to a freak injury, Joe Hammes returns as SLU’s veteran leader.
With a defense stacked with Hammes and Cole, not too much is going to get past the Billikens. When the ball is cleared out by SLU’s stifling defense, that is the time we see the fiery speed of Walls team up with the finesse of Jewsbury for the Billikens’ attack on goal.
When these weapons are in full force, the Billikens show a trace of brilliance. Friday is sure to be no different. Friday night, the Bills will be ready to display their skills and prove to the country that they will be around come NCAA Tournament time.
Saint Louis University prides itself on posting one of the country’s highest attendance totals for soccer matches.
But an ordinary crowd is not going to cut it for our Billikens. Now is when the team needs their fellow students’ backing.
Now is when they need to see the support of their classmates and friends. Southwest Missouri State, another top competitor, always gives the Bills an excellent game.
The teams’ last two meetings have resulted in a one-goal difference.
Friday night is sure to be a great game. With the speed of Nick Walls, the savvy of Jason Cole and the pure ability of Jack Jewsbury leading SLU, this year’s Billiken soccer team is going to make their mark on college soccer.
That mark will be instilled on Friday night in what will undoubtedly be a special event, certainly one to go and see.
