SLU’s Anna Lawler (5) leaps for a header during the Billikens’ match against Xavier, Thursday night at Hermann Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Soccer – Aug. 31, 2023 | 1 | 2 | Final |
| #25 Xavier (4-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| #23 Saint Louis (3-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 78:45 |  | Samantha Wiehe (2) PENALTY KICK GOAL. |
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — Samantha Wiehe converted a penalty kick in the 79th minute of a tense and tight-knit battle to lift No. 25 Xavier to a 1-0 win over No. 23 Saint Louis University, Thursday night at Hermann Stadium.
Saint Louis, which came into the match as one of the highest scoring teams in the country and having won its previous three games by a combined score of 14-1, had several nice scoring chances, but was just not able to finish when it needed to.
Xavier outshot SLU 18-16, with nine of the Musketeers shots being on goal to eight for the Billikens.
Both goalkeepers were excellent. SLU’s Emily Puricelli made six saves, including two sprawling stops that kept the game close. Yet, her performance was somehow topped by Xavier’s Maria Galley, who made eight saves to lead her club.
The key play in the game came when Xavier’s Sonia Vargas was fouled in front of the Saint Louis goal, setting up the visitors for a penalty kick, which Wiehe connected on to put the Musketeers in front.
Xavier held a 15-9 advantage on shots, with an 8-4 advantage on-goal in the first 70 minutes of the match, but the Billikens turned up the offensive pressure in the final minutes, taking seven shots, four on-frame, looking for the equalizer.
SLU’s Emily Gaebe led all players with four shots, while teammates Katie Houck and Hannah Sawyer had three apiece.
The Billikens will be back in action on Saturday, when they’ll play the first game of a doubleheader featuring both the SLU men’s and women’s teams against SIU-Edwardsville. The matches will be played at CITYPARK, with the women’s game starting at 5 p.m. and the men’s game kicking off at 7:30 p.m.
2023 SLU Billikens Women’s Upcoming Soccer Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |