Philadelphia - No. 12 Saint Louis got a second half goal from senior midfielder Alex Matteson to deliver a 1-0 triumph over Temple in an Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer match at Ambler Field on Sunday. Billiken freshman keeper Ross Kaufman made two saves for his second-straight shutout as the Billikens push their unbeaten streak to eight.
"I was very pleased with the way we played after coming off a fast pace game on St. Joe's artificial turf into what was a considerably slower paced match today," Billiken head coach Dan Donigan said. "I have to give credit to Temple, they are a much better team than their record indicates. Both teams played really good soccer today, and including Friday's win at St. Joe's we feel fortunate to escape Philadelphia with two important conference victories."
Neither team mustered a consistent offensive rhythm in the first half, as only seven shots were fired in the stanza. The Billikens did hold the edge in shots, 4-3, and managed a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks in the first frame.
Saint Louis (10-3-2, 6-0-1 A-10) regrouped at the half and broke out with several chances in the second session before getting on the board at the 61:39 mark. Sophomore back Calum Angus served a ball from the right flank which was settled by sophomore forward Larry Geraghty. After establishing possession, Geraghty fired a shot that deflected off Temple keeper Tony Pratico. Matteson was camped out in the penalty area and hit a left-footed ball into the right side netting for the game's only tally. It was Matteson's fourth goal of the season, which allows him to keep pace with fellow senior John DiRaimondo for the team lead.
Temple (2-12-1, 1-5-0 A-10) managed a chance each half, but Kaufman stoned both tries as he lifted the Billikens to their ninth shutout of the season.
Geraghty put three shots on goal as the Billikens out-shot Temple 11-8 on the afternoon. SLU also held the edge in corner kicks, 4-3.
Saint Louis continues its season-ending road trip when they travel to UMass on Fri., Oct. 22, for a noon (CT) start. The Bills then conclude the regular season next Sunday at Rhode Island.
