SLU’s Julia Simon battles for the ball with Loyola’s Jaimee Cibulka during Thursday’s A-10 Conference women’s soccer game in Chicago. (Photo: Loyola Athletics)
| NCAA Soccer | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| #25 Saint Louis (6-2-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Loyola Chicago (4-5-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 84:48 |  | Lyndsey Heckel (2) Assisted By: Hannah Larson. |
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
CHICAGO, IL — In a contest that featured several near-misses, Saint Louis University senior Lyndsey Heckel slid her between two defenders and headed in a perfect corner kick pass from teammate Hannah Larson to lift the No. 25-ranked Billikens to a 1-0 win in their Atlantic 10 Conference opener, Thursday night against Loyola Chicago.
Saint Louis, which is now 6-2-1 on the season and currently has a four-game unbeaten streak, saw several scoring chances almost go in on a night in which it outshot Loyola 20-10. But the home team’s goalkeeper, Naya Lipkens, made a season-high seven saves to keep the game scoreless.
That is until Larson found Heckel on a corner kick in the 85th minute for what proved to be the only score of the game. The goal was Heckel’s second of the season and the 15th of her career.
For Larson, it was her sixth assist of the season — all of which coming on corner kick passes. Something SLU worked on all off season.
Billiken goalkeeper Emily Puricelli, the reigning A-10 Goalkeeper of the Week, stopped all five Loyola shots she faced to record her second shutout of the season. It was also the 31st shutout of her career, which breaks a tie with former Billiken keeper Mary Niehaus for second-most in SLU soccer history.
Saint Louis is 5-0 all time versus Loyola and won their conference opener for the seventh consecutive year.
Now, the Billikens will move on to their home conference opener, which is set for this Sunday at Hermann Stadium against La Salle. Opening kick is slated for 1 p.m.
2023 SLU Billikens Women’s Upcoming Soccer Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |