Raymond Lee netted his first two goals of the 2012 soccer season as the Billikens collected their fifth victory of the season against No. 7 University of Creighton Blue Jays. This marks the Bills’ second victory over a nationally-ranked opponent.

SLU travelled to Omaha, Nebraska Friday afternoon to take on the Creighton Blue Jays. This was the Bills’ second match against a nationally-ranked opponent, after previously defeating the University of Louisville Cardinals 1-0 earlier in the season.

“It was key for us to come out really aggressive and not let their crowd into the game,” said Coach McGinty.

The plan to play with aggression was in full effect at the Bills applied constant pressure and prevented the Blue Jays from mounting a serious attack. The Bills’ fire and determination eventually paid off in the 38^th minute when substitute Lee earned his first goal of the season.

“It was a relief, but I felt like I was back,” Lee said.

The Bills proceeded to take a 1-0 lead at halftime. They had been successful in silencing the Blue Jay faithful just as Coach McGinty had hoped.

Heading into the second half, the Bills remained on point. They continued to a play as a cohesive unit, leading them to score a vital insurance goal.

In the 48^th minute, Lee notched his second goal of the contest off a rebound from the Blue Jays goalkeeper Alex Bolowich, giving the Bills a 2-0 lead.

Lee’s insurance goal proved to loom large for the Bills. In the 61^st minute, the Blue Jays answered with one goal of their own from forward Timo Pitter, making it a one-goal game.

However, with strong defensive efforts from the Billikens’ back four, the team was able to hold off the Blue Jays from scoring an equalizer and Robbie Kristo put the game out of reach in the 82^nd minute with his second goal of the season.

Kristo played all 90 minutes of the game and was a key figure in the Bills’ 3-1 win. He recorded three shots on goal, one assist and was a dominant force throughout the 90 minutes of play.

“Robbie was fantastic, it was the best game I have ever seen him play. He was playing at such a high level, we couldn’t take him off,” McGinty said.

Lee’s efforts were a pleasant addition to the Bills’ offense, as injuries had formerly set him back from where he could be. McGinty was delighted to see Lee come out and have a great performance, as Lee had been fighting to stay fit and increase his minutes on the pitch. Lee also added, with confidence, that there was more of this to come.

After successfully beating their second nationally-ranked opponent, the Bills have earned some of their own national attention. As of Sept. 24, 2012 the Saint Louis Billikens are ranked 22nd in the nation by Soccer America. SLU will look to keep up their winning ways as they take on the University of Central Arkansas at Robert Hermann Stadium on Sept. 29 at 7:30 pm.