SLU’s Julia Simon attacks the defense during Friday’s NCAA Tournament first round game against Kansas at Hermann Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Women’s Soccer | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas (13-6-4) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #8 SLU (15-1-6) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
SCORING SUMMARY
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 19:16 |  | Emily Gaebe (16) Assisted By: Hannah Larson. |
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — Emily Gaebe scored her school-record tying 16th goal of the season in the 20th minute, then watched her team’s defense dominate the rest of the night, as the No. 8 regional seed Saint Louis University women’s soccer team won its NCAA Championship Tournament first round game, 1-0, over visiting Kansas, Friday night at Hermann Stadium.
Gaebe, Saint Louis’ all-time leading scorer, now has 48 career goals and tied her mark of 16 from last season.
The goal came on a give-and-go play between Gaebe and teammate Hannah Larson. Gaebe had the ball first and passed to a chasing Larson, which drew three defenders. Larson then passed back to Gaebe, who was wide open in front of the Kansas net.
The senior from Union, Mo., didn’t hesitate and fired a shot past KU’s Sophie Gawe for a goal that gave the Billikens a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the night was all defense, as both teams refused to let the other’s offense get going. Both teams had 10 shots total, with SLU firing five on goal and KU only managing four.
KU’s best scoring chance came in the 83rd minute when a shot got near the Billiken goal line, but SLU defender Lyndsey Heckel, the 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, cleared the ball away to keep the Jayhawks off the board.
Billiken goalkeeper Emily Puricelli made three saves to pick up her 11th shutout of the season. Friday’s win was also SLU’s fifth shutout in its last six games.
Members of the SLU Billikens celebrate with Emily Gaebe (24) after she scored the game’s only goal, Friday night against Kansas. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Advancing to the second round, Saint Louis will play the winner of the No. 1 seed Southern Cal-Sacramento State match, which will be played on Sunday. The NCAA Tournament second- and third-round games will be played next Friday and Sunday, November 22 and 24, respectively.
If USC defeats Sacramento State on Sunday, it will be the host of the second- and third-round games. If the Trojanettes lose, No. 4 Virginia, which won its first-round game over Princeton on Friday, would be the host school.
Saint Louis is now 15-1-6 on the season and extended its unbeaten streak to 17 games. Kansas ended its year with a 13-6-4 record.