OMAHA, Neb. - The 11th-ranked Saint Louis men's soccer team experienced its highest scoring output of the season today with a 5-1 victory against Portland at Creighton's Diadora Challenge. Senior midfielder Kyle Patterson notched a goal and an assist, while freshman forward Jonas Reiter provided a pair of late insurance goals.
"We placed a great deal of emphasis on our defense, and that provided a great foundation for our attack," Billiken head coach Dan Donigan said. "Our first 45 minutes of play was our best half of the season, and our front-runners did a nice job of capitalizing on their opportunities. For whatever reason, Portland had some unfortunate bounces. I don't think the score is indicative of the quality of team that Portland has."
With the win, Saint Louis improves to 2-0-2. Portland, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, dips to 1-2-1.
The Billikens' five-goal output is a tournament record in the Diadora Challenge, a tournament hosted by Creighton for the 12th time. They finish the tournament with a 2-0 record and will await tonight's Creighton/UC Riverside result to determine their placing.
Saint Louis controlled possession early and got on the board at the 39:48 mark of the first half. Patterson ripped a shot toward Portland keeper Austin Guerrero. He managed to get a hand on it, but could not corral the ball. Junior midfielder James Jaramillo was in good position and pounded home the loose ball for a 1-0 Billiken advantage. It was Jaramillo's second goal in as many games.
Four minutes later, the Billikens went up 2-0 thanks to a Patterson goal on a similar play. Junior forward Scott Wisniewski fed the ball to senior midfielder Brandon Barklage who ripped a ball that deflected off Guerrero. Patterson was stationed in the box and found the back of the net from four yards. The goal completed an impressive weekend for Patterson that saw him net eight points (3G, 2A).
The Billikens benefited from a Portland own goal in the 79th minute to go up 3-0, but it was the play of Reiter and Patterson that caused the danger. Patterson fed Reiter the ball, who then raced up the sideline. He whipped the ball toward a charging Patterson in the middle, but the Portland defender inadvertently deflected the ball into the back of the goal.
Portland got on the board seconds later when Logan Emory notched his first goal of the year on a 20 yard blast over SLU keeper Pat Disbennett. But that was the only goal SLU would allow all weekend. Disbennett made five saves in the victory.
Reiter scored his first career goal at the 86:27 mark when he worked for a loose ball and buried it past Guerrero. A little more than one minute later, Reiter got a head on a Barklage corner kick and deflected into the back netting for the eventual 5-1 decision.
Overall, SLU out-shot the Pilots 23-14 and held a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks. Patterson now has 10 points (4G, 2A) on the season to lead the team, while Barklage and Jaramillo follow with five points apiece.
Saint Louis, which wrapped up a tough four-game stretch on the road, return to Robert R. Hermann Stadium next weekend for its home opener against nationally-ranked Connecticut. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available by calling (314) 977-4SLU or by visiting www.slubillikens.com.
