The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team (13-5-1)
dominated DePaul University last night 3-1 in the opening round of
the Conference USA tournament. The tournament is being hosted by
SLU at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.
The Billikens will play quarterfinal winner Louisville tomorrow
night at 7:30 in one semifinal match. The other semifinal is slated
between Marquette University and the University of
Alabama-Birmingham.
Playing in a quagmire, the first- seeded Billikens held off a
staunch Demon team for 90 minutes. DePaul, who knocked off the
Billikens in last year’s C-USA finals, was seeded eighth.
The first half was played in what seemed to be a torrential
downpour. However, the weather conditions were no match for the
potent Billiken offense who jumped out to an early lead.
Freshman Cassi Winchell gave the Billikens their first lead of
the game less than three minutes into the game.
Newly appointed, Conference USA defensive player of the year
Courtney Hulcer attempted to serve the ball into Winchell from the
right side.
The ball was banged down by a Demon defender and rolled
conveniently to the feet of Winchell. Winchell swerved around a
DePaul defender and the goalkeeper and knocked the ball in past a
Demon defender attempting to man the goal.
DePaul came back and tied the score at one, in the 19th minute.
That score, however, was quite the anomaly, as it was notched by
goalkeeper Lindsey Deason.
The Demons were awarded a free kick from about 40 yards out.
Coach John Wilson brought Deason up to take the kick.
Deason booted the ball just over SLU keeper Amanda Martin’s
hand. The ball bounced off the cross bar and trickled in.
Martin, who played stellar the entire night, could only laugh
about the goal.
“I have to give the credit to her,” Martin said, “it was a
really big boot.”
Martin added, “This one really stings because Lindsey is one of
my best friends. She and I played together this summer.”
Martin rebounded to make two saves on the night and stop several
other Demon chances before they even began.
The Billikens broke the 1-1 stalemate in the 34th minute. Hulcer
was there again with a beautiful serve, again from the right this
time. Hulcer’s serve found the left foot of Dee Guempel, and
Guempel knocked it in from about six yards out.
Hulcer’s cross miraculously found its way through the Demon
defense allowing the Billikens to take a lead they would never
relinquish.
Fortunately for each squad, the weather cleared up at
halftime.
The temperatures were still frigid enough where several players
had to wear gloves, but for the most part, the rain had ceased.
The conditions were unfavorable on both sides, but both teams
persevered and played without incident.
Rain and cold can often be a recipe for an upset for a home–but
not tonight.
That issue was on the mind of a few players, and they were not
going to let themselves slip two years in a row to DePaul.
Said Martin, “We were happy to get out of here with a win
tonight. A rain soaked field like this can be an equalizer, but we
played well and we overcame the weather.”
The Billikens added more insurance goal in the 65th minute of
play. The referee called handball on a DePaul defender after a
Maureen Hughes shot got knocked down.
The handball was a call that Billiken fans had been looking for
earlier in the night and they finally got it on Hughes’s shot.
left, and Hughes put the ball right inside the right post.
That goal capped a roller coaster three minutes for Hughes, who
wreaked havoc in the attacking third of the field most of the
night.
The duration of the second half, Hughes was in all-out attack
mode, using her speed and quickness to keep DePaul defenders on
their heels.
In the 63rd minute, Hughes used that speed to get around the
defense and Deason, and had an open net. Hughes missed the shot,
leaving it just outside of the right post.
Hulcer was proud of the team effort, and said that if the
Billikens play to their potential they have as good of a shot as
any other team in the Conference USA tournament. “We really wanted
to come out and beat DePaul. After they beat us in the final last
year it was kind of sweet revenge. But we have another game
tomorrow that we have to come back strong for.”
Added Martin, “We need to come out focused. To win this we need
to score goals, and not let the other team score.”
The Billikens will look to beat a Louisville team they did not
play at all during the regular season.
“We’ve haven’t seen Louisville yet; but if we just play like
we’ve been playing we’ll be fine,” Hulcer said.
The winner will play the winner of the other semifinal on
Saturday at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.
C-USA Tournament Women’s Semifinal
Who: Louisville Cardinals
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Robert R. Hermann Stadium
