The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team fell twice over the weekend, with a 1-0 overtime loss to Butler on Friday, Sept. 10, and a 2-0 loss at home against Louisville on Sunday, Sept. 12.
The Billikens traveled to Indianapolis for the Friday game, and after a full slate of scoreless soccer, dropped their second consecutive road game in overtime.
The Bulldogs’ Katie Griswold scored the game’s only goal with 3:14 remaining in the extra frame. Griswold scored her fourth goal of the season on a long breakaway pass into the lower right-hand corner of the goal.
Head Coach Tim Champion described the loss as “frustrating,” as it dropped the Lady Bills below .500 on the season.
The Billikens then came back to St. Louis to face the No.18 Louisville Cardinals at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals entered Sunday’s match with an unblemished 5-0 record in non-conference play and faced the Billikens at home, where they were previously unbeaten.
In the first half, a strong Billikens defense held the Cardinals’ charge at bay, allowing for a 0-0 tie at halftime.
Louisville came out of the half and scored in the 62nd minute with a short cross??goal by Caitlin Rehder, assisted by Julie Casselman. The Cardinals scored again, this time with a high shot unassisted from distance by Christine Exeter.
The Billikens tried to cut into the lead in the second half and actually out-shot the Cardinals, 5-4.
“We played a good team on Sunday, and, as a team, we are not quite there yet,” Champion said. “We need to work on the offensive side of the ball and start putting some balls in the back of the net.”
The game ended in a 2-0 win for the Cardinals, their sixth of the season.
The Billikens fell to 1-4-2, picking up their third loss in a row.
But sophomore defender Allison Hu remains positive.
“Even though we lost both of our games this weekend, we see what we have to work on, and we will get better,” Hu said.
The Billikens will look to improve this weekend at Robert R. Hermann Stadium against the Missouri State Bears (4-3) on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. They hit the field again on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., taking on the Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds (2-4-1).
“We are working toward scoring more goals and playing the full 90-minute game,” Hu said.
“Even though [we got a] slow start, the team is staying positive and looking forward to good things to come.”
