The SLU women will be going for their fourth win in a row in Thursday’s showdown against Xavier. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| SLU WOMEN’S SOCCER GAME NOTES & INFORMATION | |
| Game 5 | #25 Xavier (3-1) at #23 Saint Louis University (3-1) |
| Date // Time | Thursday, August 31, 2023 // 7 pm |
| Location | St. Louis, Mo. // Robert R. Hermann Stadium |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — Two of the nation’s Top 25 women’s soccer teams will square off Thursday night at Hermann Stadium, when No. 23 Saint Louis University hosts No. 25 Xavier University.
Saint Louis will come into the matchup having won three straight games, including an 8-0 blowout over cross-state rival Kansas City this past Sunday. Xavier won its first two games this season, then lost to Illinois last Thursday, before bouncing back with a win over Western Kentucky on Sunday.
The Billikens were ranked in all three national polls (No. 13 by College Soccer News, No. 14 by Top Drawer Soccer, and No. 23 by United Soccer Coaches), when they were released on Tuesday. Xavier was ranked No. 25 by United Soccer Coaches and No. 30 by Top Drawer Soccer.
SLU holds the all-time edge in head-to-head matchups. The Billikens are 5-4 against Musketeers, including a 3-2 come-from-behind win last year in Cincinnati.
Players to Watch: The Billikens are led by senior midfielder Caroline Kelly, this week’s Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week. She scored three goals last week and leads Saint Louis with four on the season.
Another top Billiken player so far this year is defender Hannah Larson. She was named on Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week, after notching a goal and four assists in SLU’s three straight wins.
Billiken goalkeeper Emily Puricelli has 51 wins in her career, which is the most all-time for any SLU women’s soccer player.
Xavier is led by freshman Kennedy Clark, who has two goals and an assist this year, and junior Samantha Wiehe, who has two goals. Teammates Emma Flick and Jane Olcott both have two assists this season.
Next Up: SLU will play SIU-Edwardsville at CITYPARK on Saturday. It will be game one of a doubleheader between both school’s men’s and women’s soccer teams.
Xavier will be back home next Thursday, September 7, with its own rivalry game against Pittsburgh.
2023 SLU Billikens Women’s Upcoming Soccer Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | #25 Xavier | Hermann Stadium |
| September 2 (Saturday) | 5 pm | Neutral | SIUE | St. Louis, Mo. / CITYPARK |
| September 6 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Away | Brown | Providence, R.I. |
| September 10 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Away | Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. |
| September 14 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. |
| September 17 (Sunday) | 1 pm | Home | La Salle | Hermann Stadium |
| September 24 (Sunday) | 1 pm | Home | Dayton | Hermann Stadium |
| September 28 (Thursday) | 6 pm | Away | George Mason | Fairfax, Va. |
| October 1 (Sunday) | Noon | Away | VCU | Richmond, Va. |
| October 8 (Sunday) | 1 pm | Home | Richmond | Hermann Stadium |
| October 12 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | Massachusetts | Hermann Stadium |
| October 15 (Sunday) | Noon | Away | Rhode Island | Kingston, R.I. |
| October 19 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | Duquesne | Hermann Stadium |
| October 22 (Sunday) | 11:30 am | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. |