SLU WOMEN'S SOCCER GAME NOTES & INFORMATION
Game 3	Saint Louis (1-1) at Missouri (1-0-1)
Date // Time	Thursday, August 20, 2026 // 4:30 p.m.
Location	Columbia, Mo. (Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium)
Watch	SEC Network+
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Saint Louis | Missouri

Billiken Schedule
Billiken Roster

BILLIKENS AT MISSOURI THURSDAY IN FIRST OF FOUR STRAIGHT ROAD MATCHES
• Continuing a rivalry that was rekindled in 2024, the Saint Louis Billikens (1-1) and Missouri Tigers (1-0-1) battle Thursday, Aug. 20, at Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium in Columbia. Game time is 4:30 p.m.
• SLU is playing its first road game of the season following two home contests last week. After dropping a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Alabama in the opener, SLU rebounded with a 5-0 victory over Lindenwood.
• Missouri began the 2026 campaign with road matches vs. Western Kentucky (T, 0-0) and Murray State (W, 3-1).
• Saint Louis is playing the first of four straight road games; the last time the Billikens played four consecutive true road matches occurred in 2014. The Bills play at Illinois Aug. 27, at Indiana Aug. 30 and at Illinois State Sept. 3.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Saint Louis leads the series 4-1, including a 2-1 advantage in Columbia.
• The Billikens have won both meetings since the series resumed in 2024 following a 26-year hiatus.
• Last year in St. Louis, Rylee Howard's unassisted goal just 4:54 into the game held up for a 1-0 Billiken victory.
• The series began in 1996, the first season of women's soccer for both institutions. In the third game of the year for both teams, Saint Louis prevailed 2-0 in Columbia.
• Here is the complete series history:
                             9/8/96 – SLU 2, at Missouri 0
                             11/2/97 – at SLU 3, Missouri 1
                             9/15/98 – at Missouri 2, SLU 0
                             8/25/24 – SLU 2, at Missouri 0
                             8/24/25 – at SLU 1, Missouri 0
• Saint Louis owns an 11-9-1 record vs. Southeastern Conference teams. That does not include the Billikens' 2-1 mark vs. Missouri before the Tigers joined the SEC.
 
SAINT LOUIS CELEBRATING 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN'S SOCCER PROGRAM'S INCEPTION
• The 2026 season marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of Billiken women's soccer.
• SLU's Saturday, Oct. 17, game vs. Richmond will include a 30th anniversary celebration, coupled with the return of Billiken women's soccer alumni.
• Also, SLUBillikens.com is featuring once-a-week stories highlighting the program's 11 members of the Billiken Hall of Fame. Click here to read the series' second installment recalling the career of Kelly Young.
• The Billikens played their first game on Aug. 31, 1996, defeating Central Missouri 9-0.
 
BILLIKENS LAND IN SECOND PLACE IN A-10 PRESEASON POLL
• Saint Louis was picked to finish second in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Conference women's soccer race in preseason balloting by A-10 head coaches. The Billikens received three of 14 first-place votes and totaled 182 of a possible 196 points.
• Graduate defender Camille Welker and sophomore defender Blakely Hockett were selected to the 11-member preseason All-Conference team.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Audrey Smith recorded her first collegiate brace, Hope Kim registered her first collegiate two-assist game and Saint Louis tallied four goals in the first 16 minutes to cruise to a 5-0 victory over Lindenwood Aug. 16 at Hermann Stadium.
• Smith tallied the first two goals in the eighth and 13th minutes. Kim assisted on both, and Jeanette Fieldsend recorded a helper on the first goal.
• Blakely Hockett netted the third goal in the 14th minute with a corner-kick assist from Caroline Fowlkes. Lucie Schwartz, assisted by Ashley Miller, made it 4-0 in the 16th minute, and Leah Simpson provided the final goal in the 43rd minute with assists from Hana Allen and Ava Scorfina.
• Emma Parker and Pepper Escher combined for the shutout, making one save apiece.
 
A LOOK AT THE 2026 BILLIKENS
• Among the Billikens' returning players is sophomore midfielder/forward Caroline Chier (1G, 6A), the 2025 A-10 co-Rookie of the Year. Sophomore forward Adee Broesder (5G, 3A), SLU's leading returning point-scorer, and sophomore defender Blakely Hockett (2G) joined Chier on the All-Rookie team.
• Also back this season are key offensive threats in junior forwards Hope Kim (4G, 4A) and Audrey Smith (5G, 1A) and senior midfielder Lucie Schwartz (3G, 1A).
• Junior goalkeeper Emma Parker (0.92 GAA, .721 save percentage) returns after starting all 20 games a year ago, joining first XI mainstays in graduate defender Camille Welker (20 starts) and junior midfielder Ashley Miller (19 starts).
• Also returning are senior midfielder Nina Preusser, junior goalkeeper Nimu Karani, sophomore midfielder/defender Ava Rademeyer, sophomore forward Addison Stanciak and sophomore defender Ava Scorfina.
• Eleven newcomers – four transfers and seven freshmen – joined the Billiken program this year. The transfers are senior midfielder Jeanette Fieldsend (James Madison), senior defender Caroline Fowlkes (College of Charleston), sophomore goalkeeper Pepper Escher (Massachusetts) and sophomore defender Avery Rasmussen (Kansas). The Saint Louis freshman class consists of defender Hana Allen, forward Keira Bartholet, forward Gianna Harris, defender Lucy Marsh, forward/midfielder Emma Naftanel, forward Leah Simpson and defender Lauren Zangara.
 
HEAD COACH KATIE SHIELDS
• Now in her 14th season as Saint Louis' head coach, Katie Shields owns a 183-66-24 (.714) overall record (all at Saint Louis). Shields' .716 winning percentage at the beginning of the season ranked sixth among all active NCAA Division I women's soccer coaches, and second among active Division I female coaches, who have coached a minimum of five seasons at the Division I level.
 
SCOUTING MISSOURI
• Missouri was selected 16th in the 2026 SEC preseason poll after finishing the 2025 campaign in 15th place. The Tigers were 4-10-3 overall and 1-7-2 in conference play a year ago.
• Junior forward Brianna Buels, sophomore midfielder Landis Canada and junior defender Mia Yang were named to the SEC Preseason Watch List.
• Buels has two of the Tigers' three goals this season, and sophomore forward Emily Derucki has the other. Canada and sophomore defender Allyssa Turner have an assist apiece.
• Junior Kate Phillips and redshirt-sophomore Riley Wilkerson went the distance between the posts vs. Western Kentucky and Murray State, respectively.