The SLU Billikens players and coaches celebrate winning their seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference championship. (Photo courtesy: SLU Athletics)
| NCAA Women’s Soccer | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #3 UMass (13-5-3) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| #1 SLU (14-1-6) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
SCORING SUMMARY
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 12:21 |  | Emily Gaebe (14) Assisted By: Hannah Larson. |
| 36:16 |  | Bella Recinos (10) Assisted By: Chandler Pedolzky. |
| 73:14 | | Lyndsey Heckel (6) Assisted By: Katie Houck. |
| 89:17 | | Emily Gaebe (15) Assisted By: Hannah Larson. |
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team won its seventh straight Atlantic 10 Conference championship on Sunday, when it defeated UMass, 3-1, in the A-10 title game at Hermann Stadium.
Grad student center back Lyndsey Heckel, who was named Tournament MVP, scored a goal on a header off a corner kick in the 74th minute to put Saint Louis ahead.
Then teammate Emily Gaebe scored her second goal of the game in the final minute to secure the win and SLU’s unprecedented seventh consecutive league title.
The Billikens will also make their seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, and with a 14-1-6 record this season and a current 16-match unbeaten streak, SLU is assured of at least one home game in the NCAA Tournament.
The pairings will be announced on Monday.
“It was not an easy championship Sunday,” SLU head coach Katie Shields said. “That kind of makes it sweeter.”
On the play where Heckel scored what proved to be the game-winner, she didn’t even know she had scored.
“I kind of blacked out,” Heckel said. “I was on the ground looking up, and Gaebe was leaning over me screaming in my face. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it went in.’”
Gaebe got a kick out of delivering the good news.
“She had no clue,” Gaebe said. “I told her, ‘It’s in, we scored.’”
Houck, a Freeburg High grad, put the ball in a perfect spot for Heckel’s second goal on a header this season. She also used her noggin to score in a 4-1 win over La Salle on October 20.
“We practice it every day, and the repetition helps,” Houck said.
Heckel’s main strength is on the back line. She was chosen as the A-10 defensive player of the year. But she moves up on set pieces and presents an enticing target.
“We’ve been trying to sync our service and her timing up to get a clean one like that,” Shields said. “And what a time to get it.”
The Billikens took control with a strong second half. They peppered Massachusetts keeper Bella Mendoza with one shot after another before Heckel finally broke loose.
SLU had eight shots in each half and held a 10-5 advantage in corner kicks. Yet the Bills went into the break tied at 1-1.
“We knew we were going hard, but we knew it was going to take a next level effort to put this game away,” Gaebe said. “I think we came out and executed that.”
Gaebe scored in the 13th minute with a right-footed blast inside the box off a pass from Hannah Larson.
Massachusetts knotted things on a drive by Bella Racinos in the 37th minute. It was the first goal allowed by Puricelli in 436 minutes and 4 seconds.
Gaebe, the school’s career leading scorer, pumped in her 47th career goal with just 41 seconds left in the contest.
The Billikens danced on the field after the match, waving signs proclaiming “7-PEAT” in honor of the seven-year run of dominance.
“It’s such an honor, and it shows the hard work this program has put in,” Gaebe said.
SLU is hoping to ride its momentum into NCAA Tournament play. It reached the third round for the first time in school history last season before losing in overtime to Penn State.
“We kind of feel like we haven’t really hit our peak yet,” Heckel said.
Added Gaebe, “We’re just so motivated. We have more to come, and we all believe in each other.”
| QUARTERFINALS – November 1 & 2 On Campus of Higher Seed | |
|---|---|
| Match 1: No. 1 Saint Louis 2, No. 8 Davidson 0 Saturday, November 2 — 5:00 pm | |
| Match 2: No. 5 Saint Joseph’s 2, No. 4 Fordham 1 Friday, November 1 — 6:00 pm | |
| Match 3: No. 2 Dayton 1, No. 7 VCU 0 Friday, November 1 — 6:00 pm | |
| Match 4: No. 3 Massachusetts 1, No. 6 Loyola Chicago 0 Saturday, November 2 — 12:00 pm | |
| SEMIFINALS – Wednesday, November 6 On Campus of Higher Seed | |
|---|---|
| Match 5: No. 5 Saint Joseph’s 0, No. 1 Saint Louis 2 Wednesday, November 6 — 7:00 pm | |
| Match 6: No. 3 Massachusetts 2, No. 2 Dayton 1 Wednesday, November 6 — 6:00 pm | |
| CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Sunday, November 10 On Campus of Higher Seed | |
|---|---|
| Match 7: No. 3 Massachusetts 1, No. 1 Saint Louis 3 Sunday, November 10 — 12:00 pm | |