St. Louis - Second-ranked Saint Louis bounced back with a 2-1 triumph over Louisville tonight in a Conference USA men's soccer match before 2,450 chilly fans at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. After seeing its 10-game winning streak snapped at UAB on Wednesday, the Billikens got back in the win column behind goals from Jack Jewsbury and Dipsy Selolwane.
Jewsbury got the Billikens on top in the 20th minute by connecting from four yards on a rebound. Hermann Trophy candidate Brad Davis hammered a shot that UofL keeper Jeremy Morales saved, but couldn't corral. Jewsbury was quick to pounce on the carom. Jewsbury now has 14 points in nine matches after recovering from a lacerated foot that caused him to miss three matches.
"Jackie continues to do the things that he's done for us the past two years, but he's been overshadowed by all the great things that Brad and Dipsy have done so far this season," Billikens head coach Dan Donigan said. "He continues to be a target for us up top, and he creates more space for the other two because of the attention he draws from the defense."
Jewsbury and Davis combined to set up Selolwane's 16th goal of the year at 29:36. With Jewsbury flying down the right side, his centering pass went through Davis, who drew two defenders with him as the ball grazed off him, to Selolwane who buried it from eight yards. The Billikens played a dominant first half by out-shooting the Cardinals 6-2 and had a third goal nullified by an offside call.
Playing its offside trap to near perfection, Louisville coaxed the Billikens into five offsides in each half. After Morales made two sensational stops on Selolwane in the 59th and 61st minutes, the Saint Louis attack became tentative. UofL midfielder Nathan Stevens pulled the Cards within a goal in the 62nd minute. Off a serve from fellow midfielder Courtenay Commander, Stevens chipped SLU keeper John Politis from 12 yards while falling to the turf.
Politis made his only save of the night in routine fashion on Commander's long shot in the 68th minute, but the Cardinals were dangerous on other occasions as they moved to knot it up. Defender Adrian Cann had a 30-yard drive glance off a SLU defender and sail just wide of the left post in the 74th minute. Cards midfielder James Ciccarello sent a pair of deep shots over the cross bar in the 85th and 86th minutes.
Meanwhile, Morales kept his club within striking distance as he stopped Billiken midfielder David Beck's bid at the right post in the 81st minute and stoned Davis on a two-on-one break in the 90th minute. Morales made eight saves on the night, and his defense cleared another ball off its own line. The Billikens out-shot the Cardinals 12-7 and had a 5-4 edge in corners.
"It was a frustrating game for us, because it's difficult to play against a team that falls back like that and looks to counter out of it," Donigan said. "We'll need to figure out a way to be more effective against teams like that, but we did manage to get the necessary result."
Saint Louis (11-1-0, 7-1-0 C-US) continues its three-game homestand with a non-conference match against Western Illinois on Wed., Oct. 31, in a 7 p.m. kick-off at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. Louisville dropped to 5-9-1 overall and 1-5-1 in C-USA.
SAINT LOUIS 2, LOUISVILLE 1
SLU 19:10 Jack Jewsbury 4-yds rebound from Brad Davis
SLU 29:36 Dipsy Selolwane 8-yds from Davis and Jewsbury
UL 61:39 Nathan Stevens 12 yds from Courtenay Commander
Shots: SLU-12, UL-7 Corners: SLU-5, UL-4 Saves: SLU-1 (Politis), UL-(Morales-8, Team-1) Fouls: SLU-7, UL-13 Att: 2,450
