The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team traveled to the East Coast for what was supposed to be a two-game set against the University of Rhode Island and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Friday’s game was scheduled to pit the Billikens against the Rhode Island Rams. However, a persistent rain kept pounding the field and led to unsafe conditions on the field. The teams began playing, but 15 minutes into the first half, the referees and coaching staffs agreed to postpone the contest.
The game was a much-anticipated battle between perennial Atlantic 10 powerhouse URI and the Billikens, who are favored to win the conference. The Rams and the Billikens were both undefeated in Atlantic 10 play heading into Friday’s match.
“We tried to play the game, but it was in three inches of water, and it wouldn’t have been a good game for either team,” coach Tim Champion said.
There has been no make-up date scheduled as of Monday, Oct. 17.
The road trip was not completely lost, and the Bills traveled up the coast to face UMASS on Sunday afternoon.
The Minutewomen came into the game against the Bills with a 6-6-1 record, including 3-2-1 in conference play.
The seemingly pushover match turned into a struggle for the Billikens. While they dominated possession and outshot the Minutewomen 13-4, the Bills managed to squeak out a 1-0 win.
The teams remained scoreless throughout the first half. The Billikens outshot the Minutewomen 6-3 in the half, but could not manage to parlay their domination of the ball into any goals.
“We didn’t finish, but it was cold and windy. We played well, but they were a pretty good team- better than we had expected,” Champion said.
The Billikens turned away two early attacks by UMASS with stringent defense led by junior Tara Gresco and freshman goalkeeper Abby Goellner.
The Billikens’ best chance in the first half came in the 21st minute, when junior Courtney Hulcer sent a centering pass from the right side to junior Alex Twellman.
Twellman’s subsequent shot sailed just north of the crossbar.
Hulcer had a chance of her own in the 32nd minute, but her shot just missed the top right corner.
The Billikens’ relentless attack finally broke through in the 70th minute as freshman Caroline Sweeney knocked home the only goal for the Billikens.
After junior Maureen Hughes’ hustle earned the Bills a corner kick, the pressure was on the Minutewomen. Hulcer took the kick and sent it flying toward the box.
Sweeney got her body on the ball and put it in to put the Billikens on top for good.
“Courtney’s [Hulcer] corner kicks are amazing, and she put it right in the box and I just kneed the ball in,” Sweeney said.
Next up for the Billikens is today’s trip to Missouri State. The teams will face off in Springfield at 7:00 p.m.
“This is always a difficult game for us, because they have a lot of St. Louis girls on the team,” Champion said. “These girls have played against each other a lot, so they know each other.”
The Billikens finally return home, after a five-game road trip. The Bills will host in-conference foes George Washington and LaSalle on Friday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 30, respectively.
The Billikens travel to Dayton, Ohio, on Thursday, Nov. 3, for the start of the Atlantic 10 tournament. The three-day tournament concludes Sunday, Nov. 6.
Coach Champion is enthused about his team’s progress heading into the conference tournament.
“We played a lot of tough road games to get ready for this tournament. We’re healthy now and we will be able to put a full team on the field,” Champion said.
