The Saint Louis University field hockey team finished the non-conference docket of their schedule on Sunday and Monday.

True to form, the team maintained this season’s steady pace by following up a loss with a win, bringing their record to 5-6.

The Billikens squared off against the Ohio Bobcats on Sunday.

The game was a battle of defensive wills, and remained scoreless for nearly the entire contest.

The game was decided when Ohio’s Torrie Albini recorded the only goal of the game in the 58th minute.

Despite their stout defense, the Billiken offense could only muster up three shots, whereas their counterparts managed 16 in the 1-0 loss.

The outcome left SLU at 4-6 and the Bobcats at 5-6.

There were some bright spots for the team.

Sophomore goalkeeper Amy Wasserman continued her stellar play, stopping 12 shots.

“Amy has been amazing. She hasn’t had a bad game yet. She seems to always know where the ball is going to be,” said freshman forward Mary Henry.

Henry is not the only Billiken to compliment Wasserman’s skills.

“Amy is unbelievable. She has been playing so well and dominating in the cage. She had a huge game against Michigan State and two more key showings. She has been playing great, and I know she will keep it up throughout the conference games,” freshman Jacklyn McGranahan said.

On Monday, the team traveled to Springfield to take on the Missouri State Bears.

The team capitalized on its opportunities throughout the match.

McGranahan opened the scoring for the Bills with a goal in the 16th minute.

Henry followed with a goal nearly seven minutes later, which proved to make the difference in the match.

“The ball bounced off the circle and was deflected off the goalie’s pad. It landed right by my stick, and I was able to put it in,” Henry said.

Sophomore Catherine Donovan added another goal for SLU–her second of the season-in the 58th minute. The team won by a score of 3-1.

Once again, Wasserman was phenomenal in goal, shutting down the Bears with 22 saves. Coming into the weekend’s play, she was ranked 13th in the nation in saves, putting her with some of the nation’s elite goalkeepers.

The win was critical for the Billikens, who needed a solid finish to the non-conference schedule.

Even though the Bears outshot the Billikens 34-10, the team made the most of its scoring chances.

“Against Missouri State, we played together – We had a fun time while we were out on the field and we connected better as a unit. We – did a great job capitalizing on offense, scoring three goals. It felt so good to win that game, and I truly feel it was a big turnaround game for our season,” McGranahan said.

The team now looks ahead to their inaugural year in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The conference poses a new challenge for SLU, boasting perennial national powers such as the University of Richmond.

The Billikens were picked to finish sixth in the eight-team field.

“The team needs to work on some things like combining well, but overall I think we’re peaking at the right time, just before conference play begins,” Henry said.

“If we work together as a team, and play SLU hockey, there is no doubt in my mind that we can beat anyone. When we have fun and play hard, we put up a good fight against anyone. I know we will do great in the A-10 Conference games as well,” McGranahan said.

This Friday the team takes on Rhode Island at the Anheuser-Busch Center at 2:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the team hosts the University of Massachusetts at 1 p.m.