Nov. 6, 2008

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Julia Bradenberg hammered home a goal in the 71st minute to lift Saint Louis to a 2-1 victory over St. Bonaventure Thursday night in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championship at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

The fourth-seeded Billikens (11-5-4) advance to play top-seeded and 21st-ranked Charlotte (15-3-1) in Friday's first semifinal at 5:30 p.m. No. 2 seed Dayton will take on No. 3 seed Fordham, a 1-0 winner over Duquesne in Thursday's other first-round match, at 8 p.m.

SLU's Christine Steinmetz began the scoring with a tally in the sixth minute. Ashley Hayes began the scoring play on a corner kick, with Andrea Barklage finding the end of the serve. Barklage knocked her shot of the crossbar, but Steinmetz was in position on the doorstep to bury the rebound for her first career goal and put the Billikens on top 1-0 at 5:42.

St. Bonaventure (11-8-1), the No. 5 seed, answered in the 27th minute on a goal by Tori Burchett. Courtney Bosse threaded a ball from the left side to Burchett in the penalty area. Burchett finished the chance by poking the ball past SLU keeper Hannah Perry. It was Burchett's second goal of the season.

The teams went into halftime tied 1-1, with SLU holding a 10-6 advantage in shots at the break.

In the second half, SLU applied constant pressure out of the gate, and that persistence paid off on a Bradenberg goal at the 70:57 mark. Bradenberg, a second-team All-Conference selection, received a Megan Yossi pass and fired it to the near post. SBU keeper Nicole Markert got her gloves on the blast, but the momentum carried the ball over the goal line to put the Bills up 2-1. It was Bradenberg's team-leading sixth goal of the season and her ninth career game-winner.

Perry, an All-Rookie team keeper for Saint Louis, made four saves, while Markert made seven stops for the Bonnies. Overall, SLU out-shot St. Bonaventure 21-8 and held a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks.