BILLIKENS BATTLE HAWKS AT HERMANN
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 • 7 p.m. CDT
WHERE: Robert R. Hermann Stadium • St. Louis, Missouri
RECORDS: SLU 8-3-1, 3-0 A-10; SJU 4-6-1, 1-2 A-10
SLU-SJU SERIES: SLU leads 6-4-3
LAST MEETING: SLU 2, at SJU 0 (9/20/18) RECAP
BILLIKENS' LAST GAME: at SLU 4, Dayton 1 (Sept. 29) RECAP
HAWKS' LAST GAME: Massachusetts 4, at SJU 3 (Sept. 29) RECAP
GAME NOTES: Saint Louis | Saint Joseph's
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
UP NEXT FOR THE BILLIKENS: St. Bonaventure • Sunday, Oct. 6 • 1 p.m. CDT • Hermann Stadium
A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS
• The Saint Louis Billikens play the second game of a four-game homestand Thursday, Oct. 3, against the Saint Joseph's Hawks. First whistle for the Atlantic 10 Conference battle at Robert R. Hermann Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.
• The Billikens' 6-4-3 series lead over the Hawks includes a 2-0 win in Philadelphia last season.
• Saint Louis rose two spots to No. 2 in this week's United Soccer Coaches East Region poll, trailing only Georgetown.
• Courtney Reimer was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week for Sept. 23-29.
• SLU's 4-1 victory over Dayton Sunday afternoon extended the Billikens' winning streak to four and their unbeaten streak to six (5-0-1). It also gave them a 16-game winning streak against A-10 opponents.
• The Billikens made program history in the Dayton game, becoming the first Saint Louis women's soccer team to score at least four goals in three consecutive games.
• The Billikens are 30-1-5 in their last 36 games at Hermann Stadium, a stretch that dates to the final home game of 2015.
• The Billikens are No. 59 – highest among A-10 teams – in this week's NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). SLU has played four teams in the RPI top 50 – Louisville (No. 18), Notre Dame (No. 23), Oklahoma State (No. 33) and Purdue (No. 49).
• Saint Louis is enjoying the offensive balance it featured the past two years. Fourteen different player combinations have accounted for the Billikens' 15 assisted goals this season. Nine Billikens have scored at least one goal, and 13 have tallied at least one point.
• The Billikens lead the A-10 in goals against average (0.57) and are second in save percentage (.833) and corner kicks (60).
• Mary Niehaus leads the A-10 in goals against average (0.37), save percentage (.886) and shutouts (six).
• Hannah Friedrich is tied for second in the league in game-winning goals (three), tied for sixth in goals (five) and tied for eighth in points (11).
• Evie Lavelle is tied for third in assists (five), while Annabelle Copeland is tied for 10th in goals (four). Copeland and Anna Lawler are tied for sixth in game-winning goals (two).
• After winning Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season and tournament titles and posting a school-record 18 wins a year ago, the Billikens were selected to finish atop the league again in the A-10 head coaches' preseason poll. Seven starters and 10 additional players are back from SLU's 2018 team.
• Senior defender Alli Klug appears on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for a second straight season. Klug also is one of four Billikens on the A-10 preseason All-Conference team, joining senior goalkeeper Mary Niehaus, senior midfielder Courtney Reimer and sophomore forward Hannah Friedrich.
• Saint Louis will host the semifinals and final of the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship Friday and Sunday, Nov. 8 and 10. Four first-round games will be played on the home fields of the top four teams in the final regular-season standings, with the winners advancing to SLU's Robert R. Hermann Stadium.
A LOOK AT THE HAWKS
• Saint Joseph's was tabbed for a fourth-place A-10 finish by the league's head coaches in their preseason poll.
• The 2018 Hawks were 14-5-2 and reached the A-10 Championship semifinals. They tied for third (8-2) in the regular-season standings.
• Saint Joseph's has played eight games decided by a one-goal margin, including all three of its conference matches.
• Among SJU's returning players is senior forward Dakota Mills, a 2018 first-team All-Conference selection and former A-10 Offensive Player of the Year.
• Junior forward Morgan Bower made the All-Conference second team a year ago, while sophomore defender Mackenzie Ehresman and sophomore forward/midfielder Aleksa Peev were A-10 All-Rookie choices.
• Mills, senior forward Kylie D'Ambra and senior forward Gabrielle Vagnozzi lead Saint Joseph's with two goals apiece.
