The Saint Louis University men’s soccer team came into the
weekend looking to climb back into the national rankings. SLU
started the season ranked fourth, but lost their spot in the top 25
after dropping games to unranked George Mason University and No. 7
Saint John’s last weekend.
The Billikens needed a favorable outcome from their match at the
University of South Florida to help bring their season back on
track. The No. 16 Bulls (5-0-2, 2-0-1 Conference USA) came into the
match in first place in C-USA with wins over DePaul and
Charlotte.
USF took the lead in the 23rd minute, beating senior goalkeeper
Martin Hutton in his first game after returning from an abdominal
injury. USF freshman Ricardo Hidalgo beat Hutton on a two-on-one
break. Hidalgo’s netted his second goal of the season on a 16-yard
chip shot.
The Bulls held SLU to six shots and one corner in the first half
and kept the Bills off of the scoreboard for their fifth
consecutive half.
SLU finally answered in the 67th minute when sophomore Alex
Matteson deflected a centering pass into the back of the net from
six yards out. The pass came from freshman Tim Ward via junior Ryan
Wileman.
The Bills broke through the USF back line again to take their
first lead in three games in the 81st minute when freshman Nick
Ciciarrelli tallied his first NCAA goal. Cicciarelli’s goal came
after he stripped the ball from a USF defender and put the ball in
the net from 16 yards out.
USF tied the game at two just six minutes later, when a SLU
defensive miscue resulted in a USF goal, scored by defender Keeron
Benito. Benito’s goal sent the game into overtime.
Hutton showed why he is still the Bills’ top keeper when he
stifled a USF one-on-one opportunity in the first overtime. Ward
had two opportunities to net the winning goal, but both just missed
the net.
The Bills returned home yesterday to play their third C-USA
match, hosting DePaul. The Blue Demons (2-7-2, 0-2-0 C-USA),
entered the game struggling to put goals on the scoreboard. The
Bills and the Demons opened the game playing back and forth for the
first 10 minutes before either team could make a run at the net.
Wileman looked as if he would continue his finishing struggles when
he headed the ball over the bar off of a corner kick from sophomore
John DiRaimondo in the 12th minute.
The Billikens continued to press an attack on the DePaul net
which paid off in the 23rd minute when DiRaimondo set up Wileman in
the penalty area for his second goal of the season. Wileman netted
the shot from 12 yards out, placing it into the lower left corner
of the net.
Sophomore Danny Wynn put home his first goal of the season on a
rewarding individual effort through the penalty area. After
stealing a pass, Wynn carried it through the DePaul back line and
launched a shot past DePaul goalkeeper Michael Timlin. Wynn’s tally
came in the 27th minute.
Sophomore Will John added his seventh goal of the season on a
15-yard shot from the middle of the penalty area. John found
himself with possession of the ball just outside of the top of the
penalty area, spun around and fired a right-footed rocket off of
the bottom of the cross-bar and into the back of the net. John’s
goal put the Bills ahead by three.
The final SLU goal came in the 80th minute. Ward was fouled from
behind in the corner, earning the Bills a free kick. Ward sent the
ball to Wynn who slipped the ball to senior Brett Branan. Branan
found Wileman, who buried his second goal of the game and third of
the season. Wileman’s goal was the last of the game, leaving the
Bills in front 4-0.
“The finishing we weren’t getting went in tonight,” Wileman
said.
His header off of the cross bar, and another chance that went
wide of the right post had Wileman worried about his chances for
the game.
“I thought it wasn’t going to be my night,” Wileman said. “We
were not getting any goals.”
“We’ve never really not had opportunities,” coach Dan Donigan
said. “DePaul is a tough team; they’ve had five overtime
games.”
Also important in the last two games was the return of Hutton
and sophomore defender Mo Benne. Benne had not played since the
Marquette game because of a foot injury.
“Everybody is in a good mood, has a good attitude and is
healthy,” Donigan said. “With Martin [Hutton] we’re pretty
comfortable right now. I think our other goalies understand that
he’s number one.”
The emergence of Ciciarrelli and red-shirt freshman Adam Pepper
and the return of Benne will likely cost some Billikens their
playing minutes. Sophomore Casey Speiss had been playing in Benne’s
spot along the back line, and Ciciarrelli’s entrance into the
DePaul game pushed John into the midfield.
“I like to have the option of pulling John back. It’s the same
with Alex [Matteson] and Johnny [DiRaimondo],” Donigan said.
The Bills play host to C-USA foe Charlotte in the second game of
their four-game home stand on Saturday at 7 p.m. SLU beat Charlotte
on penalty kicks to win the 2003 C-USA Tournament last
November.
“In looking at who they [Charlotte] have returning, they’re
going to be tough,” Donigan said. “They have reason to come here
and knock us off for knocking them out of the tournament.”
“The tough stretch of the schedule is over, not as far as
opponents but travel,” Donigan said.
“The home stand is going to help a lot,” Wileman said. “We’re
comfortable at home.”