THIS WEEK – Saint Louis women's soccer (5-5) begins Atlantic 10 Conference play Saturday, Oct. 4, against Dayton (4-6-1), the league's preseason favorite and defending regular-season champion. Game time at Baujan Field in Dayton, Ohio, is 4 p.m. (CT).

FOLLOWING THE ACTION – Live statistics and live video, both free, are available for Saturday's game. The links are located on the home page of Saint Louis' official athletics website, www.SLUBillikens.com, in the schedule section just below the lead stories, as well as on the women's soccer schedule page.

BILLIKEN LEADERS – Twelve different Saint Louis players have recorded at least one point, and eight of those players have collected at least one goal. Kirsten Clemens tops the scoring chart with 12 points (5G, 2A), followed closely by Lindsay Elking with 11 points (4G, 3A). Livi Logan-Wood (3G, 1A) has seven points, while Tori Marshall (3G) and Cristina Rodriguez (2G, 2A) have six points apiece. Goalkeeper Hanna Benben carries a 1.48 goals against average and has made 39 saves. The Billikens have out-shot their opponents 178-110 overall and 94-56 in shots on goal.

BILLIKENS WIN FINAL NON-CONFERENCE TEST – Livi Logan-Wood scored two goals, and Saint Louis out-shot Omaha 29-6 in a 4-2 Billiken victory Sept. 27 at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. Saint Louis established season highs of 29 total shots and 15 shots on goal while tying its season bests of four goals and four assists. Omaha's six total shots tied the season low by a Saint Louis opponent. Kirsten Clemens scored an unassisted goal and launched a career-high and team-season-high seven shots, and Jordan Catalano tallied her first collegiate goal. Lauren Tondl, Molly Ream, Mary Wright and Danielle Manning registered an assist apiece.

BILLS' ATTACK PRODUCING RESULTS – The Billikens' 20 goals are the most scored by a SLU team through the first 10 games of a season since the 2006 squad netted 24 goals. SLU has six multi-goal games so far this season, eclipsing last year's season total of five. The Bills tallied four goals in three of those outings, marking the first time since 2006 that the team has produced three four-goal games.

BILLIKENS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS – Saint Louis ranks 46th in the nation in assists per game (1.9), 56th in points per game (5.9) and tied for 57th in goals per game (2.0).

SLU IN THE A-10 STATISTICS – In the most recent Atlantic 10 Conference statistics report, the Billikens lead the league in shots per game (17.80) and corner kicks per game (6.20); are tied for first in goals per game (2.00); and rank second in points per game (5.90) and assists per game (1.90). Kirsten Clemens is fifth in shots per game (3.60), tied for fifth in game-winning goals (two), and tied for eighth in goals per game (0.50) and points per game (1.20).

SCOUTING DAYTON – The Flyers played a difficult non-conference schedule that included six opponents ranked among the top 100 in this week's NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) – Stanford (1), Texas A&M (4), Rice (46), Oklahoma State (49), Santa Clara (62) and Ohio State (95). Dayton's top threats are junior forward Ashley Campbell (7G, 2A) and junior midfielder Nicole Waters (5G, 6A), who are tied for the team lead with 16 points apiece. Campbell and Waters rank second and 10th, respectively, in the A-10 in goals per game and are tied for fourth in points per game. Waters is tied for second in the league in assists per game. Sophomore midfielder Erin O'Malley has chipped in three goals. Sophomore Elizabeth James has played 80 percent of the minutes in goal and has a 2.12 GAA and two shutouts. The Flyers lead the Billikens 7-2-1 in the all-time series.

ABOUT THE BILLIKENS – Saint Louis returned 17 players, including nine starters, from last year's 6-10-3 team that tied for second place (5-2-1) in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The returning starters are senior defenders Maddy Bush (2G) and Mary Wright; senior forward Lindsay Elking (1A); junior goalkeeper Hanna Benben (1.54 GAA, four shutouts); junior defender Michelle Schwarz; sophomore forwards Cristina Rodriguez (2G, 1A, A-10 All-Rookie) and Kirsten Clemens (1G, 1A); sophomore midfielder Tori Marshall (1A); and sophomore defender Kacey Bright. Also returning are senior defenders Andrea Strebler and Julia Merlo; junior forward Livi Logan-Wood (5G, 1A, team-high 11 points); junior midfielders Jamie Borges (1G, 2A) and Katelyn Hammarlund; junior defender Colleen Cole; sophomore midfielder Shaney Sakamoto; and sophomore defender Alyssa Mastroianni.

TEN NEWCOMERS ON BOARD – The Billikens welcome a sophomore transfer and nine freshmen to the 2014 team. Midfielder Danielle Tolmais joins the squad after registering four assists at the University of Memphis a year ago. The freshman class consists of forwards Jordan Catalano, Madi Mann and Danielle Manning; midfielders Lauren Merlo, Molly Ream and Lauren Tondl; defender Allison Birke; and goalkeepers Mary Niehaus and Tristin Stuteville.

BILLIKENS PICKED FOURTH IN A-10 PRESEASON POLL; WRIGHT HONORED – Saint Louis was tabbed for a fourth-place finish in the 2014 Atlantic 10 Conference standings in the A-10 head coaches' preseason poll. Senior defender Mary Wright was selected to the preseason All-Conference team.

HEAD COACH KATIE SHIELDS – Katie Shields, the third head coach in Saint Louis women's soccer history, is in her second season guiding the Billikens and her third campaign on the Billiken staff. Shields was a SLU assistant coach in 2012. Prior to her arrival at Saint Louis, Shields spent two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northwestern. She served three years in the same capacities at her alma mater, Harvard, where she helped guide the Crimson to Ivy League titles and NCAA Championship berths in 2008 and 2009. Shields began her coaching career with a one-year stint as an assistant at Cal Irvine. In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, she served as assistant goalkeeping coach for the Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer in 2009; head coach of the Boston Bolts F.C. girls' youth clubs for two years; and camp director/senior staff member of Soccerplus Goalkeeper School from 2006-11. She also has assisted with the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team. Shields is a 2006 graduate of Harvard with a bachelor's degree in government. She is joined on the sideline by assistant coaches Scott Gloden and Vince Gentile and senior graduate manager Jessie Jarrett.