What's on Tap: The 15th-ranked Saint Louis University men's soccer team travels to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Memphis Tigers (1-1) Saturday, Sept. 6. Game time from the Mike Rose Soccer Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m. It is the first road game of the season for the Billikens (2-0).
Following the Action: Free live stats and live video (fee required) are available for Saturday's game. The links are located on the home page of Saint Louis' official athletics website, www.SLUBillikens.com.
Recapping Last Week: The Billikens started the season 2-0 after registering victories against Tulsa and Virginia Tech last week. Against the Golden Hurricane, junior midfielder Filip Pavisic scored in the 86th minute to lift the Billikens to the 1-0 victory. The Billikens registered three first-half goals in a 3-1 victory against the Hokies. Senior forward Robert Kristo scored twice, and senior forward William Hidalgo converted a penalty kick.
Polling Place: After recording a pair of victories last weekend, Saint Louis jumped to No. 15 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire national poll. It's the highest ranking since week three of last season when the Billikens came in at No. 10. To view the NSCAA/Continental Tire national poll, click here.
Otte Recognized: SLU freshman goalkeeper Sascha Otte was named the Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer Rookie of the Week on Monday. Otte made one save in the shutout victory against Tulsa and made six stops in the win against Virginia Tech.
Billikens Picked to Win A-10: SLU is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer title according to balloting by the league's head coaches. Earning preseason All-Conference plaudits were senior forward Kingsley Bryce, junior midfielder David Graydon, senior forward Robert Kristo and senior defender Anthony Manning. Named to the A-10's preseason All-Rookie team were defender Andre Rivers-Hardware and midfielder/defender Patrick Sarr.
Hermann Trophy Watch List: Saint Louis senior forward Robert Kristo and senior defender Anthony Manning have been named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List for the second straight season. Kristo was a semifinalist for the award in 2012. Last year, Kristo led the Billikens in scoring with 25 points (10G, 5A). Manning was tabbed the Atlantic 10 Conference Defender of the Year.
Bryce Has Class: Saint Louis senior forward Kingsley Bryce is one of 30 NCAA Division I men's soccer players selected as a candidate for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award for collegiate soccer. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. To read more about Bryce and the Senior CLASS Award, click here.
Coaching Staff: Mike McGinty, the A-10 Coach of the Year the last two seasons, is in his fifth season as the Billikens' head coach. He was hired in March 2010 after an 11-year stint at the University of Virginia, where he served as associate head coach for the 2009 NCAA national champion Cavaliers. McGinty's four-year career coaching record is 47-27-6. He is aided by assistant coaches Brian Grazier (first year) and Blake Schneider (second year), goalkeeper coach Tim Kelly and senior student manager Mark Pais.
Scouting Memphis: The Tigers recorded their first victory of the year Wednesday night with a 2-1 double overtime victory against SIUE. Memphis opened the season last weekend at UAB and suffered a 3-1 defeat. Benjamin Ciosanki tallied the game-winning goal against SIUE. Hayden Cochran and Fakhry Khulfan have also scored for the Tigers. Last season, Memphis went 9-8-1 overall and 3-5 in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers are led by first-year head coach Richard Mulrooney.
Series History: Saint Louis and Memphis are meeting in the regular season for the first time since 2004. The squads met regularly as members of the Great Midwest Conference and Conference USA in the 1990s and early 2000s. SLU leads the all-time series 15-5-1.
Up Next: The Billikens open a three-game homestand Tuesday, Sept. 9, when they host No. 2 Louisville at Hermann Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
