The SLU Billikens celebrate scoring a goal in Sunday’s win over Rhode Island. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Women’s Soccer – Oct. 15, 2023 | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLU (12-2-2, 7-0-1) | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Rhode Island (3-7-6, 3-2-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 09:04 |  | Emily Gaebe (9) Assisted By: Emily Groark. |
| 33:03 | | Alyssa Bockius (1) Assisted By: Izzy Luebbert. |
| 59:12 | | Caroline Kelly (8) Assisted By: Hannah Larson , Sophia Stram. |
| 65:38 | | Abbie Miller (3) Assisted By: Katie Houck. |
| 84:16 | | Hannah Sawyer (6) Assisted By: Emily Groark. |
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
KINGSTON, RI — Five different players scored a goal, 10 different players registered a point, the Saint Louis University women’s soccer team won their fifth match in a row, and clinched a top-four spot for the conference tournament with a 5-0 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over Rhode Island, Sunday afternoon at the URI Soccer Complex.
Junior Emily Gaebe scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season and Caroline Kelly scored her eighth to help power the Billikens. Teammates Hannah Sawyer (6), Abbie Miller (3), and Alyssa Bockius (1) scored goals as well, as Saint Louis stayed unbeaten in Atlantic 10 play and assured itself of hosting a quarterfinal game when the league tournament begins in two weeks.
Overall, SLU is 12-2-2 on the season, with a 7-0-1 record in A-10 play. The Billikens lead both La Salle and Dayton by a point in the league standings and could clinch the regular season title as soon as Thursday, with a win and a little bit of help.
On Sunday, Saint Louis, which now boasts an unbeaten streak of 11 straight games and a shutout streak of five, dominated a Rhode Island team (3-7-6, 3-2-3) that had allowed only 12 goals all season.
The Billikens led 2-0 at halftime, thanks to an early goal by Gaebe and a late first half score by Bockius. Kelly made it 3-0 when she scored in the 60th minute, and was followed by scores from Miller (66th minute) and Sawyer (85th minute).
Emily Puricelli and Becca Wolterman each recorded a save, combining on the Billikens’ ninth shutout of the season overall and seventh in eight conference matches.
SLU’s offense completely overpowered Rhode Island. The Billikens outshot the Rams 35-5, with 16 of those shots being on goal to just two for Rhode Island. Saint Louis also earned eight corner kicks to Rhode Island’s one.
As mentioned earlier, Saint Louis could clinch the regular season league title as soon as Thursday. That’s when the Billikens will host the final regular season home game of the year.
SLU will play Duquesne at Hermann Stadium that night, and with a win and a loss by La Salle, which is playing Loyola Chicago that night, the Billikens would win the A-10 regular season championship and clinch the No. 1 seed for the A-10 Tournament.
If SLU doesn’t clinch on Thursday, it will get a chance to do so on Sunday, when it closes out the regular season on the road with a game against Saint Joseph’s.
2023 SLU Billikens Women’s Upcoming Soccer Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 19 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | Duquesne | Hermann Stadium |
| October 22 (Sunday) | 11:30 am | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| October 27-28 (Friday-Saturday) | TBA | Home | TBA | Hermann Stadium |