DAYTON, Ohio — Saint Louis men's soccer battled back from an early deficit, dominating the second half before finding a late equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw at Atlantic 10 rival Dayton Saturday night at Baujan Field. It was the A10 opener for both squads.
SLU moves to 2-3-2 overall and 0-0-1 in the A10, while Dayton is now 4-1-2 and 0-0-1 in league play.
The Flyers struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when Cooper Lijewski converted a feed from Braden Seel and Farouq Ogundare.
Saint Louis responded by putting pressure on the Flyers throughout the remainder of the half. Alander Soares forced a save in the 16th minute, while Xavi O'Neil and Jackson Delkus also tested Dayton goalkeeper Santino Inkpen late in the half.
The Billikens turned up the pressure after halftime, registering eight shots and holding Dayton to three in the second half.
With time winding down, Heckenlaible was fouled in the box, giving the Billikens a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Soares stepped to the spot and calmly converted, scoring his first goal of the season to pull Saint Louis even at 1-1.
The Billikens held on through the final minutes to secure the hard-fought draw. Saint Louis goalkeeper Christian Herluf made two saves, while Dayton's Inkpen stopped five of the Billikens' six shots on target. Saint Louis also held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Billikens return home next Saturday, Sept. 26, hosting Duquesne at 6:30 p.m. at Hermann Stadium as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend. The traditional fireworks display will take place at halftime.
