The Saint Louis women’s soccer team went 20-2 and won its fifth straight Atlantic 10 Conference championship last year. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS – The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team received more preseason national attention, Friday afternoon, when College Soccer News announced its first NCAA Division I Women’s Preseason Top 30 of the 2023 season and had the Billikens ranked in slot No. 13.
Last season, Saint Louis won a school-record 20 games (20-2 record) and claimed its fifth straight Atlantic 10 Conference championship, before finishing the year ranked No. 11 in College Soccer News’ final poll. SLU reached as high as No. 4 in the country — the highest ranking in any national poll in program history — during the season.
Defending national champion UCLA and national runner-up North Carolina were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in College Soccer News’ poll, with Florida State, Alabama, Virginia, Notre Dame, Duke, Arkansas, Stanford, and BYU making up the remainder of the top 10.
SLU, which will play its second exhibition game of the season on Saturday against Evansville, will open its regular season on August 17 against No. 10 BYU.
The Billikens will play two other teams listed in College Soccer News’ Top 30. SLU will host No. 25 Xavier on August 31, and then a week later will go on the road to play No. 26 Brown.
Earlier this month, SLU was ranked No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.
Along with the game at BYU, SLU’s regular season opening weekend will include a game at Utah State on Sunday, August 20. The Billikens’ home opener at Hermann Stadium is slated for Thursday, August 24, against Creighton.
Opening kick that night will be at 5 p.m.
COLLEGE SOCCER NEWS – NATIONAL PRE-SEASON POLL – AUGUST 11, 2023
| Rank | School | W-L-T |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | UCLA | 22-2-1 |
| 2. | North Carolina | 20-5-1 |
| 3. | Florida State | 17-3-3 |
| 4. | Alabama | 23-3-1 |
| 5. | Virginia | 16-4-3 |
| 6. | Notre Dame | 17-3-3 |
| 7. | Duke | 15-5-3 |
| 8. | Arkansas | 13-4-5 |
| 9. | Stanford | 17-2-3 |
| 10. | BYU | 11-3-7 |
| 11. | TCU | 14-5-5 |
| 12. | South Carolina | 15-4-5 |
| 13. | Saint Louis University | 20-2-0 |
| 14. | Northwestern | 16-5-2 |
| 15. | Penn State | 15-5-3 |
| 16. | Texas | 15-3-4 |
| 17. | Pittsburgh | 14-5-3 |
| 18. | Georgetown | 15-2-5 |
| 19. | Michigan State | 18-3-3 |
| 20. | Memphis | 11-5-6 |
| 21. | Southern California | 12-3-3 |
| 22. | Santa Clara | 11-7-3 |
| 23. | UC-Irvine | 11-6-7 |
| 24. | Harvard | 12-2-3 |
| 25. | Xavier | 14-5-5 |
| 26. | Brown | 13-2-3 |
| 27. | Clemson | 8-5-5 |
| 28. | Central Florida | 9-2-7 |
| 29. | Portland | 12-5-4 |
| 30. | West Virginia | 11-5-7 |
Others Receiving Votes: Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Rutgers, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, SMU, Lamar, New Mexico State, Florida Gulf Coast.
