SLU HOSTS RICHMOND THURSDAY, SEEKS RETURN TO WIN COLUMN
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 • 7 p.m. CDT
WHERE: Robert R. Hermann Stadium • St. Louis, Missouri
RECORDS: SLU 12-3-2, 7-0-1 A-10; UR 6-8-2, 3-5 A-10
SLU-UR SERIES: SLU leads 8-2-1 and has won five straight
LAST MEETING: SLU 6, at UR 1 (9/30/18) RECAP
BILLIKENS' LAST GAME: SLU 0, at George Mason 0, 70 minutes (Oct. 20) RECAP
SPIDERS' LAST GAME: at Rhode Island 1, Richmond 0 (Oct. 20) RECAP
GAME NOTES: Saint Louis | Richmond
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
UP NEXT FOR THE BILLIKENS: at George Washington • Sunday, Oct. 27 • Noon CDT • Washington, D.C.
A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS
• Tied for first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference with two games remaining, Saint Louis hosts Richmond Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Billikens' regular-season home finale. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
• The Billikens are not bidding farewell to Hermann Stadium for 2019, however. SLU will host an A-10 Championship quarterfinal game Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. and would be at home for the semifinals and title game Friday and Sunday, Nov. 8 and 10, as well.
• SLU is coming off a 0-0 tie at George Mason in a game that was halted at the 70-minute mark due to poor field conditions caused by rain. Richmond fell 1-0 at Rhode Island in its most recent outing.
• The Billikens lead the Spiders 8-2-1 in the all-time series. Saint Louis brings a five-game series winning streak into tonight's contest, including a 6-1 rout a year ago in Richmond. Alyssa Seitzer led the way with a hat trick, while Hannah Friedrich, Annabelle Copeland and Evie Lavelle scored a goal apiece.
• The Billikens are 58th, highest among A-10 teams, in this week's RPI. SLU has played three teams in the RPI top 30 – Louisville (11th), Oklahoma State (22nd) and Notre Dame (30th).
• SLU is No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches East Region poll.
• The Billiken senior class is aiming to complete a four-year undefeated record in home regular-season A-10 matches tonight. SLU's seniors are 18-0-1 in such contests.
• Saint Louis is 33-1-5 in its last 39 games at Hermann Stadium.
• SLU is 9-0-2 and has allowed just three goals in its last 11 games.
• Twenty-one different player combinations have accounted for the Billikens' 23 assisted goals this season. Thirteen Billikens have scored at least one goal, and 16 have tallied at least one point.
• SLU leads the A-10 in GAA (0.47), save percentage (.837) and shutouts (10). In conference games only, the Billikens top the league in goals per game (2.63), GAA (0.38) and shutouts (five).
• Mary Niehaus leads the A-10 in GAA (0.27), save percentage (.902) and shutouts (nine).
• Hannah Friedrich leads the league in game-winning goals (five), ranks eighth in goals per game (0.41) and shots per game (2.65), and is ninth in points per game (0.88).
• Emily Groark and Evie Lavelle are third (0.38) and tied for eighth (0.29), respectively, in assists per game.
• Annabelle Copeland and Anna Lawler are tied for seventh in game-winning goals (two).
• After capturing A-10 regular-season and tournament titles a year ago, SLU was selected to win the league again this season.
• 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.
A LOOK AT THE SPIDERS
• With six wins, Richmond already has tripled the number of victories it had in 2018.
• The Spiders still have a chance to qualify for the eight-team A-10 Championship. They enter Thursday night's game in a ninth-place tie.
• Perhaps Richmond's most impressive win this season is a 2-1 triumph at Massachusetts; the Minutewomen are in third place in the A-10.
• Redshirt-junior forward Alyssa Walker leads the Spiders with 19 points (8G, 3A). Junior forward Katie Tritt is second with 11 points (4G, 3A).
• Senior forward Brooke Beam and junior midfielder T.J. Anderson have five and four assists, respectively.
