A first glimpse at this year’s women’s soccer team comes Friday,
during an exhibition against Southeast Missouri State, at Robert R.
Hermann Stadium, where the Bills will play host 10 times this
season.
Tim Champion returns for his eighth season as head coach and
looks to build upon SLU’s first ever Soccer America Top 25 finish
from the 2002 campaign. The Billikens enter the season ranked
fourth among the Conference USA coaches poll and poised to make a
run at the Conference USA title. The team boasts six returning
starters, and is led by All-Conference players and last year’s
leading scorers junior Jamie Perry, and sophomore Christie
Cigno.
In 2002, Perry set school records by leading the offense with 13
goals as part of her 29 points while Cigno netted nine goals along
with winning C-USA honors as Freshman of the Year.
With only five seniors and seven returning starters, the team is
young; but the core of backfield strength comes from their
upperclassmen Carrie Carlson and Annie Lucier, who are already
confident of the way the team is coming together.
“All of our returning starters are key players” said Lucier.
“From a leadership perspective, we are young, but you have to come
in thinking everyone has the experience. Show the freshman the
mutual respect they deserve and give them a chance to prove
themselves,”
Among the freshmen, Dee Guempel and Courtney Hulcer will be
playing wide midfield and running the flanks, while Anna Schuch
will play up top with Perry.
The battle for keeper is still up in the air between newcomers;
transfer Amanda Martin, from Arizona and freshman Lyndsay Gensler
will compete for the starting spot.
Looking ahead on the schedule, some big games are set for the
month of September.
At SLU’s hosted, “Toys for Tots Tournament,” the Bills will face
Indiana and Air Force on the fifth and seventh, respectively.
A mid-month tournament in Princeton, N.J. with games against the
Tigers and Penn, will offer a prime opportunity for the team to
showcase themselves against some usually high-ranked East Coast
opponents.
The Bills will certainly get their chance to start things off
right in a mere 24 hours.
