The SLU women are 14-2-2 and ranked No. 22 in this week’s national Top 25. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| SLU WOMEN’S SOCCER GAME NOTES & INFORMATION | |
| Game 19 | #8-seed VCU (5-8-4, 4-4-2) at #1-seed Saint Louis (14-2-2, 9-0-1) |
| Date // Time | Friday, October 27, 2023 // 7 p.m. |
| Location | St. Louis, Mo. (Robert R. Hermann Stadium) |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — The NCAA women’s soccer postseason begins on Friday and for the Saint Louis University Billikens, that means hosting a first round game in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.
Saint Louis, which won the A-10 regular season title, will be looking for its unprecedented sixth straight A-10 Women’s Tournament championship. And that quest will begin with a matchup against No. 8-seed VCU, tonight at Hermann Stadium.
The Billikens, who are 14-2-2 on the season and ranked No. 22 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, will enter tonight’s matchup with a seven-game winning streak, a seven-game shutout streak, and a 13-game unbeaten streak (11-0-2) that goes all the way back to August.
VCU is 5-8-4 on the season, but managed to slip its way into the conference tournament by going unbeaten in its final three games. The Rams are 2-0-1 in those contests, all of which were intense battles that required VCU to score late goals to either win or force a tie.
Players to Watch: Saint Louis is the top scoring team in the A-10 this season. The Billikens have netted 57 goals in 18 games.
Junior Emily Gaebe has been the Billiken leader this year. She has 13 goals and 32 points, both totals that lead the league and make her the favorite to win the conference player of the year award.
Senior teammates Caroline Kelly and Hannah Sawyer have also been fantastic this year. Kelly has nine goals, which is second in the conference, and Sawyer has seven, which is tied for fourth-most in the league.
VCU is led by seniors Anna Bagley and Milica Bulatovic, and sophomore Kendyl Sarver. Bulatovic and Sarver lead the Rams with four goals this year, and Bagley leads the entire conference with nine assists.
Up Next: The winner of Friday’s contest will advance to the A-10 Tournament semifinals, which will be played on Wednesday, November 1. The tournament brackets will be re-seeded following the first round games.
If SLU wins, no matter who it faces in the next round, the Billikens will host. If VCU wins, it will play on the road, no matter who it faces.
The A-10 Tournament championship game is set for Sunday, November 5, with the winner of the tournament earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
| QUARTERFINALS – Friday, October 27 | |
|---|---|
| Match 1: No. 8 VCU at No. 1 SLU 7 pm CT Watch Live Live Stats | |
| Match 2: No. 5 Duquesne at 4 Massachusetts 1 pm Watch Live Live Stats | |
| Match 3: No. 7 Rhode Island at No. 2 La Salle 6 pm Watch Live Live Stats | |
| Match 4: No. 6 Saint Joseph’s at No. 3 Dayton 6 pm Watch Live Live Stats | |
| SEMIFINALS – Wednesday, November 1 On Campus of Higher Seed (pairings will be re-seeded following the Quarterfinal Round) | |
|---|---|
| Match 5: Lowest Remaining Seed at Highest Seed Watch Live Live Stats | |
| Match 6: Second Lowest Remaining Seed at Second Highest Seed Watch Live Live Stats | |
| CHAMPIONSHIP – Sunday, November 5 On Campus of Higher Seed | |
|---|---|
| Match 7: Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6, Noon Watch Live Live Stats | |