St. Louis - Saint Louis freshman midfielder Kyle Hayes netted his first career goal as the 22nd-ranked Billikens blanked No. 12 Fordham 1-0 this afternoon in an Atlantic Conference men's soccer match at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. Freshman keeper Ross Kaufman made a pair of saves to record his fifth shutout and lead SLU to its fourth straight win.

"We were persistent and didn't become impatient, and that paid off for us in the long run," Billikens head coach Dan Donigan said. "Dado (Hamzagic) kept attacking and creating opportunities, and Kyle finished with a great goal. After Fordham's keeper made a terrific save on the first shot, Kyle stayed with it and buried it."

On the decisive play, Hamzagic beat two Fordham defenders down the left flank and his centering pass through the top of the Rams' penalty area was missed by two Billiken attackers who couldn't get a touch. The ball rolled through to the back post where Hayes was waiting. After Rams keeper Doug Devearaux's chest stopped Hayes' first attempt, the Bills' rookies drilled the rebound under the cross bar in the 74th minute.

Devereaux and the Fordham defense had frustrated the Bills to that point. Devereaux denied SLU senior forward Casey Spiess at the left post in the 50th minute. Spiess shot from 15 yards after a nice set-up from Hamzagic, who was a problem for the Rams all afternoon. In the 58th minute, Hamazigic moved in from the left flank off Alex Matteson's through ball. Devereaux blocked Hamzagic's 10-yard drive, and the SLU sophomore pounded the rebound off the post.

Kaufman saved the match in the 84th minute when Rams back Einar Oddsson lofted a dipping 40-yard shot on frame. Kaufman leaped and punched the ball that was destined to sneak under the bar. The shot bounced near the goal line, but Kaufman bounced up and snared it before the ball could cross the line. Saint Louis did a solid job of holding the ball in the final minutes and prevented any serious Fordham chances.

In a scoreless first half, Saint Louis enjoyed a wide territorial advantage, out-shot the Rams 8-2 and had a 4-1 edge on corner kicks. Nevertheless, the Billikens had a difficult time piercing Fordham's organized back and had few quality chances. SLU's best opportunity was Hamzagic's redirection of Matteson's through ball that rolled to the Rams' Devereaux. Fordham's best chance came on its first shot when forward Dean Stanic sent a 25-yard free kick over the cross bar in the third minute.

The Billikens out-shot Fordham (6-2-3 overall, 0-2-1 A-10) 20-6 and finished with a 6-3 advantage on corners. The Rams' Devereaux made eight saves. Saint Louis (7-3-1, 2-0-0) continues its eight-game homestand by entertaining A-10 foe Xavier on Fri., Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.