Billikens defeat UMKC in overtime, 2-1

Freshman forward Adnan Gabeljic entered Tuesday night’s game in the 76^th minute, providing some fresh legs for the Billikens up top.  Just 16 minutes later, he netted the game winner to lift Saint Louis University to a 2-1 overtime victory over University of Missouri-Kansas City at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

The match was SLU’s final non-conference game of the season, coming right in the middle of the Atlantic 10 schedule.  SLU and UMKC have developed a tradition of playing each other in late-season non-conference games, though SLU has won all seven of the teams’ meetings.

The action got started early off of a Devon Newport corner kick, SLU’s first corner of the game.  Newport lofted the ball into the box and found the head of fellow sophomore Benny Estes, who slipped it past UMKC’s Ken Cooper to put SLU on the board first in the 35^th minute.

The Kangaroos (9-4-3) responded in the 66^th minute by forcing an own goal from the SLU defense.

UMKC also had a goal called back earlier in the match because of a foul in the offensive box.

SLU’s defense held the Kangaroos to just three shots on goal during the match.  Sophomore Mark Pais was in net for the Billikens.

The game winning goal came just a minute and a half into overtime, as junior Beau Bellomy created some space on the right side of the offensive box.  His centering feed to Gabeljic got through two UMKC defenders and gave the freshman a chance to put in the game winner.  Gabeljic beat the keeper by firing a shot just inside the near post, his third goal of the season.

The Billikens advance to an overall record of 5-6-2.  In a season strangled by injury, SLU now has the goal of earning the best seed possible in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, held Nov. 11-13 in Charlotte, N.C.

Throughout the 92 minutes of soccer, only two upperclassmen saw the field Tuesday night.

Bellamy and fellow junior Alex Johnston each played major roles in the match, supporting a cast otherwise completely made up of freshmen and sophomores.  Freshmen Sito Sasieta and Jon Roeckle each netted two shots, and both had major defensive contributions.

The Billikens now return to A-10 play as the season winds down with four conference games at Hermann Stadium.  This weekend, SLU takes on Temple Friday evening at 7 p.m., and then faces St. Bonaventure’s Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.