SLU’s CJ Coppola shows off his muscles after scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal in the Billikens’ 2-1 win over Butler, Thursday night. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

NCAA Men’s Soccer12F
Butler (0-1)101
Saint Louis (1-0)022

Scoring Summary

TimeTeamDescription
13:31BUTPalmer Ault (1)
Assisted By: Jan Quispel.
67:07SLUCJ Coppola (1)
Assisted By: Christian Buendia , Matthew Wrobel.
87:20SLUCJ Coppola (2)
Assisted By: Grady Easton , Mads Stistrup Petersen.

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

ST. LOUIS, MO — A slow-paced first half turned into a fired up second half, Thursday night at Hermann Stadium, as the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team kicked off its 2023 season with its home opener against Butler.

The visiting Bulldogs scored an early goal and led for most of the night, but Saint Louis — the No. 24-ranked team in the country, according to United Soccer Coaches — stormed back with a pair of late goals by CJ Coppola, to earn itself a thrilling 2-1 win.

“We started off very slow and then had a good talk at halftime where our coach really gave it to us,” Coppola said. “He said we needed to bring the energy, and in the second half, we gave it to them. In the first, we didn’t bring enough for us. In the second we brought it the whole time and showed them how we can play.”

Coppola, a speedy 6-foot-2 sophomore forward, is SLU’s top returning scorer from last year. He had six goals as a freshman. So no one was surprised it was he who would get the Billikens going.

In the 68th minute, he found some space and took a crossing pass from teammate Christian Buendia. Coppola then worked around the right wing and drilled a shot past Butler goalkeeper Caleb Norris to tie the score at one.

“I didn’t think we were very good in the first half,” SLU head coach Kevin Kalish said. “But Butler is a good team and the response in the second is what we expected.”

But Coppola wasn’t done.

In the 88th minute, following a free kick by Mads Stistrup Petersen that was headed forward by Grady Easton, Coppola was waiting near the far post and beat a Butler defender and Norris to the ball, which allowed him to bury a shot into the back of the net to give Saint Louis the lead.

“Right place at the right time,” Coppola said. “That has to do with coach. He said to sit right there and I’d get a goal, and look what happened.”

Both teams had a number of scoring chances in the final 20 minutes, including a pair of dynamite chances for the Bulldogs, but SLU goalkeeper Jeremi Abonnel made two sprawling saves that kept the score tied until Coppola’s game-winner with just over two minutes remaining.

The Billikens will be back in action on Tuesday, August 29, when they’ll take a trip down to Nashville to take on Lipscomb.

SLU’s next in-town game will come on Saturday, September 2, when the Billikens will play crosstown rival SIU-Edwardsville in the annual Bronze Boot game. That contest will take place at CITYPARK, the newly built hometown stadium for St. Louis’ professional soccer team, St. Louis City SC.

2023 Saint Louis Billikens Men’s Soccer Schedule

DateTimeAtOpponentLocation
August 29, 20236 pmAwayLipscombNashville, Tenn.
September 2, 20237:30 pmNeutralSIUECITYPARK
September 8, 20237 pmAwaySMUDallas, Texas
September 15, 20236 pmAwayVCURichmond, Va.
September 19, 20237 pmHomeOral RobertsHermann Stadium
September 23, 20237:30 pmHomeFordhamHermann Stadium
September 27, 20237 pmHomeMissouri StateHermann Stadium
September 30, 20237 pmHomeRhode IslandHermann Stadium
October 4, 20232 pmAwayGeorge WashingtonWashington, D.C
October 7, 20237 pmHomeLa SalleHermann Stadium
October 10, 20237 pmHomeCentral ArkansasHermann Stadium
October 14, 20233 pmAwayLoyola ChicagoChicago, Ill.
October 21, 20237 pmHomeDaytonHermann Stadium
October 24, 20237 pmHomeBlackburnHermann Stadium
October 28, 20236 pmAwaySaint Joseph’sPhiladelphia, Pa.