The Billikens finished an incredible 2022 campaign with a 20-2 record and their fifth straight Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament championship. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Paige Dale
Staff Writer

ST. LOUIS, MO — The final day of July will be the final day of summer vacation for members of the Saint Louis University women’s soccer team. July 31 will be the day the 30 members of the Saint Louis squad will officially report to campus for preseason training camp.

The Billikens will assemble on Monday for meetings and intrasquad discussion sessions, and begin on field training sessions on Tuesday.

SLU welcomes back 17 players from its 2022 team that won a school-record 20 games, and also won its fourth Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title in the last five seasons, while also capturing its fifth consecutive A-10 Championship crown.

The Billikens also competed in the NCAA Championship for a fifth straight year, and landed at No. 20 in the final United Soccer Coaches national poll. Saint Louis finished the year with a top-10 ranking in all three national polls, including a high of No. 4 by College Soccer News, during the regular season.

SLU’s three returning All-Americans – senior defender Lyndsey Heckel (first team), graduate midfielder Abbie Miller (second team) and senior goalkeeper Emily Puricelli (third team) – are the most of any NCAA Division I women’s soccer team this season. Heckel also was a Hermann Trophy semifinalist.

Twelve of SLU’s 17 returnees combined to make 194 of the team’s 242 starts (80 percent) a season ago. Returning players this season also accounted for 60 of the 2022 team’s 65 goals (92 percent) and 41 of its 61 assists (67 percent).

Senior forward Caroline Kelly (school-record 32 points), junior forward Emily Gaebe (24) and graduate forward/midfielder Emily Groark (22) gave SLU three 20-point scorers for the first time since 2006. In all, the Bills return their top seven point-scorers.

Saint Louis led the nation in winning percentage (.909), goals per game (2.95), assists per game (2.77) and points per game (8.68), and finished third nationally in shutout percentage (.682) and goals against average (0.46), in 2022.

In addition to their school-record 20 victories – which also equaled the A-10 women’s soccer record – the Billikens set school marks for longest winning streak (18), longest unbeaten streak (18), shutouts (15), regular-season winning percentage (17-1, .944), goals (65), assists (61) and points (191).

SLU plays exhibition games at Lindenwood on August 8 and at home vs. Evansville on August 12, before opening the regular season with a road game on August 17 at BYU. The Billikens home opener at Hermann Stadium is scheduled for August 24 vs. Creighton.

2023 SLU Billikens Women’s Soccer Schedule

DateTimeAtOpponentLocation
August 8 (Tuesday)7 pmAwayLindenwood (exhibition)St. Charles, Mo.
August 12 (Saturday)6 pmHomeEvansville (exhibition)Hermann Stadium
August 17 (Thursday)8 pmAwayBYUProvo, Utah
August 20 (Sunday)2 pmAwayUtah StateLogan, Utah
August 24 (Thursday)5 pmHomeCreightonHermann Stadium
August 27 (Sunday)1 pmHomeKansas CityHermann Stadium
August 31 (Thursday)7 pmHomeXavierHermann Stadium
September 2 (Saturday)5 pmNeutralSIUESt. Louis, Mo. / CITYPARK
September 6 (Wednesday)6 pmAwayBrownProvidence, R.I.
September 10 (Sunday)1:05 pmAwayNebraskaLincoln, Neb.
September 14 (Thursday)7 pmAwayLoyola ChicagoChicago, Ill.
September 17 (Sunday)1 pmHomeLa SalleHermann Stadium
September 24 (Sunday)1 pmHomeDaytonHermann Stadium
September 28 (Thursday)6 pmAwayGeorge MasonFairfax, Va.
October 1 (Sunday)NoonAwayVCURichmond, Va.
October 8 (Sunday)1 pmHomeRichmondHermann Stadium
October 12 (Thursday)7 pmHomeMassachusettsHermann Stadium
October 15 (Sunday)NoonAwayRhode IslandKingston, R.I.
October 19 (Thursday)7 pmHomeDuquesneHermann Stadium
October 22 (Sunday)11:30 amAwaySaint Joseph’sPhiladelphia, Pa.