ST. LOUIS – The 24th-ranked Saint Louis men's soccer team scored two second-half goals and posted a thrilling 2-1 victory over Butler Thursday in the season opener for both teams.

In a game played on a hot and muggy night in St. Louis, CJ Coppola scored both goals for the Bills. Goalkeeper Jeremi Abonnel, a Billiken newcomer making his first start, made several dazzling saves among his five total stops to secure the season-opening win for the Billikens.

It was the Bulldogs who struck first when BIG EAST preseason Player of the Year Palmer Ault got on the end of a Jan Quispel pass and headed home the game's first goal. The lead stood at the break, as Butler went into the lockeroom with a 6-4 edge in shots in addition to the 1-0 lead.

But the second half belonged to the Billikens. Coppola scored his first of the night in the 68th minute to knot the score at 1-1. Christian Buendia lofted a pass from the Billikens' own end that was flicked ahead by Matthew Wrobel. It came to Coppola who buried it for the equalizer.

SLU continued to pressure the Bulldog defense and broke through for the go-ahead goal in the 88th minute. Mads Stistrup Petersen sent a ball into the box off a free kick. Grady Easton headed it toward Coppola at the far post and he headed it past the Butler keeper for the 2-1 final.

The Bills and Bulldogs were even in shots in the second half at seven apiece.

SLU is back in action on Tuesday (Aug. 29) when it takes on Lipscomb in Nashville in a 6 p.m. kick. The Bisons fell 6-4 in their season opener tonight against Florida Atlantic.