The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team will be competing at home in the Toys for Tots tournament this weekend. The annual tournament, which was initiated in 2002, is designed to help raise funds and awareness for Toys for Tots.
“It’s always nice to give back,” sophomore midfielder Susan Frederickson said. “I mean, people come out and support us, so it’s nice to support others and help the community.”
All tournament proceeds will benefit the Toys for Tots organization, which collects new toys to be redistributed during the holiday season to children in need. While normal ticket sales will benefit this organization, spectators also have the opportunity to bring a new, unwrapped toy to be donated to Toys for Tots in exchange for admission.
The Billikens, 1-2 thus far this season, kick off action this weekend against Southeast Missouri State tonight, following the opening match between the Army and the Air Force Academies. Their schedule will continue into Sunday, when they take on Army.
“I think that first and foremost, we want to get the win,” sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Koesterer said. “We had a bit of a rough start and had some things that we definitely needed to work out, but we’ve been working on them in practice, and, hopefully, that will show this weekend.”
The Billikens, undefeated in the series against both teams they will face in the tournament, have posted a 2-0 record against both SEMO and the Army in the past. Additionally, SLU is fresh off its win over Missouri State, an elusive victory that came after two straight losses in the opening weeks of play.
“To win, we have to get production up top from the younger players,” Head Coach Tim Champion said. “We are missing some strikers due to medical issues, so we need to be able to build on last week’s win. We had some things to work out in the back, but we’ve been working on that in practice.”
As far as goals for the tournament, Champion said he would like to see production from the younger players and the team back on track for the season, with a couple of solid wins. More importantly, he hopes for success for the charity with Toys for Tots.
“From the fund-raising aspect, this weekend is really a great weekend for Toys for Tots,” Champion said.
The team is also heavily involved in the Special Needs Soccer Association, in which the team members play soccer with special-needs children every weekend. The team will be volunteering there this Saturday, between matches.
Champion, who has coached women’s soccer at SLU since the creation of the team, is only one win away from earning his 200th career win. Koesterer said she is excited for him to get recognition for his accomplishments, after such a long tenure at SLU.
“I mean, it’s certainly a neat thing, but really I am more focused on the development of this team,” Champion said. “Getting the younger players and the team to develop will lead us to greater success and, hopefully, another championship. It’s a neat number to have, but it’s just that-a number; and there are more important things to consider at this point.”
