The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team is set to play La Salle University today in Philadelphia. The Billikens return home to finish the weekend on Sunday with St. Bonaventure in SLU’s Homecoming match to cap their first week of conference play.
In the lone match last weekend, SLU lost to Nebraska 5-1. Despite senior forward Cassie Winchell’s goal near the end of the match, the team still has things to improve upon for this weekend.
“We need to play as a team, increase the talk on the field and support one another,” junior defender Lauren Olsen said. “Most importantly, we need to bring up the intensity and the excitement.”
The Nebraska game marked the end of nonconference play for the Billikens, as SLU starts its Atlantic 10 conference schedule this weekend against La Salle. The Billikens will enter their first A-10 conference games with a 3-3 record.
“A game against a fellow Atlantic 10 team always holds more weight and is always extremely important,” Olsen said. “It is what we have been preparing for, and it is what they will have been preparing for as well.”
The La Salle match-up marks the second game between SLU and La Salle, with the Billikens winning the first game two years ago. Senior forward Kristin Hextall leads the Tigers in scoring with seven goals.
“Going into this weekend, we really just have to focus on each individual game,” Olsen said. “Right now, we are looking at LSU and focusing on them; we just have to travel to Philadelphia and do everything that we have been working on.”
As the Billikens return home to play St. Bonaventure University, freshman forward Alyssa Mautz and Winchell lead SLU in scoring with two goals each. Mautz and Winchell are two of six SLU players who have found the back of the net this season.
“We have to move on and focus just as hard on SBU,” Olsen said. “That Sunday game after a road trip is always going to be tough, but we have to start all over again; and, hopefully, we will come into Sunday with a win from Friday.”
Because this weekend’s game against St. Bonaventure is SLU’s Homecoming, in addition to parents’ weekend, Olsen said it will be nice to have the support of family and friends.
“The SLU women’s soccer game is one of the final school events during this Homecoming weekend,” Olsen said. “We will definitely put on a show; women’s soccer is such an amazing sport in general and add the competition of conference play; it’s going to be a show for sure.”
