ST. LOUIS – Kailyn Slade scored her first goal of the season in the 26th minute, and VCU held off a furious second-half Saint Louis challenge to claim a 1-0 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over the Billikens Friday night at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

VCU, which posted its fifth consecutive shutout, improved to 9-4-4 overall and 5-1-1 in the A-10. SLU  fell to 8-9, 3-4.

Slade took a pass from Maren Johansen, who tallied her third assist of the season, and tucked a 10-yard shot into the lower left corner at the 25:38 mark.

The Billikens applied considerable pressure in the second half and finished with a 14-6 advantage in shots and a 5-2 edge in corner kicks. But VCU goalkeeper Emma Kruse stopped all five Saint Louis shots on frame.

Cristina Rodriguez posted career highs in total shots (seven) and shots on goal (three). Both were game highs, and the seven shots tied the Saint Louis season high.

The Billikens conclude the regular season Sunday, Nov. 2, against George Washington at Hermann Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. The SLU senior class will be honored prior to the game.