courtside

2026 SLU Soccer commits: Hana Allen. Glen Ellyn, Illinois (Chicago) Keira Bartholet. Webster Groves, MO Gianna Harris. New Orleans, LA Lucy Marsh. Webster Groves, MO Emma Naftanel. Colorado Springs, CO Leah Simpson. Carrolton, TX (Dallas) Pepper Escher. Brewster, MA (Cape Cod)

SLU is adding UMass Goalkeeper transfer, Pepper Escher, to its 2026 recruiting class. Pepper, a Freshman, played her club soccer with FC Stars. And, she played her high school ball with Worcester Academy. She helped lead her FC Stars 06/07 ECNL team to back to back New England Conference Titles. She also helped her team to the National ECNL Playoffs Round of 16 in 2024. The New England Conference includes all of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and much of New York. At Worcester Academy, Pepper was named Boston Globe Prep Player of the Year, and the NEPSAC Player of the Year. She was also named All State, All New England, and United Soccer Coaches all American. Recently, Pepper was one of three goalkeepers, and one of 24 players that received a USYNT U20 call up in October, 2025. She was coached by USYNT U20 Goalkeeper coach Brittany Cameron, who is also an assistant at Wake Forest. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2025/10/us-under-20-womens-national-team-calls-24-players-training-camp-kansas-city-mo

As of today, we have reached over 1,000 players in the portal since August 1st. As for seeking more portal information or having it sooner, you can always set up your own portal tracker. You could then use your relationships with coaches and school administrators to obtain some of that information.

SLU recruited this player since she was in the 8th grade. As you illustrate with your replies, interest is high with both players SLU recruits, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, and, interest is high with local player destinations. Thanks again for being a faithful reader, and for your continued interest and support.

Still not quite accurate about football four programs but close enough.

Appreciate you. A few small errors. Two weeks remain to enter the portal. The current cycle extends well beyond that time. Also, it’s not a rise in football four programs. That isn’t anything new. Thanks again for being a faithful reader Waterloo Marty.

Alex scored twice to lead the United States U20 National Team to a 4-1 win over England. It was a nice birthday present for Alex, who is one of the youngest players on the team. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2025/11/us-under-20-womens-national-team-will-travel-to-spain-for-two-matches

Friend of the (SLU) program Jim Conlon, and the Wash U Women’s Soccer team, will compete for back to back D3 National Titles this week. It would be their 3rd national title the past decade. Good luck to the Bears.

I don’t post portal players unless the player chooses to make his or her portal entry public. And even then, it is likely in response to someone else posting it. Many players don’t announce it: Players don’t attend schools hoping to transfer to an additional school. I’m willing to answer some questions about it. I do post incoming transfers each cycle. I can tell you that by Thanksgiving 961 players were in the portal, a small percentage of that is since August. More have entered since, including as recently as yesterday. There are still two weeks left this cycle to enter the portal. The Men’s cycle began a week later. Players may commit at any time after that. SLU had two recent commits for example, that committed in December, but they didn’t announce until May. It varies. It’s still ongoing but SLU has reached out to 22 players so far this cycle, at 7 positions. If you want to know where a past player ended up just ask. SLU Men’s Soccer for example is playing former Billiken Jack Sullivan and Akron on Saturday. SLU Women and SLU Men’s Soccer actively recruit the portal each cycle. That also means a few players leave each cycle. It’s part of today’s game. And it is much more competitive for the Women’s program having to go up against more football four programs.

Summer Had a very unique knee injury, different and more complex from the more common ACL/MCL tears. After being a Summer Ball All Star, she began to feel extreme knee pain. She left SLU to return to Indianapolis to have surgery and to sit out the season. A highly recruited, and highly decorated player, expectations were high for Summer. But she ran into some bad injury luck. Hopefully she will be able to eventually get back on to the field at Indiana.

Todd Shulenberger is the new Head Coach at Ole Miss. He spent the past 11 years as HC at Washington State. 5 NCAA Tourneys including a College Cup Final Four. He was mentioned as a possible Mizzou hire when Missouri hired Stefanie Golan. Todd was a four year assistant at Missouri during some of their best soccer seasons. He left Missouri for Texas Tech where he has two successful assistant seasons there. He inherited a good situation at Washington State. Then he kept it going for 7 seasons. he even hired his old boss at Missouri briefly, after he “retired” from Mizzou. (Blatz) But the past four seasons have been more challenging, as has the move to the WCC from the Pac 12. He gets a fresh start in Oxford, who is on their 2nd HC in a few seasons, since 13 year HC Matt Mott left for Oklahoma. SLU of course defeated Ole Miss in the 2021 NCAA Tourney. https://olemisssports.com/news/2025/12/1/todd-shulenberger-named-fourth-head-coach-in-ole-miss-soccer-program-history

SLU 2 Bryant 2 (SLU 4-3 PK’s) SLU 4-4-2 w/o a right wing Bryant 4-2-3-1 Unavailable: Pitarch Bayot (Delagado gave them physicality and a goal. Umar gave them pace and playmaking) SLU played the same lineup, and formation as they did vs Indiana. O’Neil was available for limited minutes vs Bryant. SLU tried to take away Jiana and Amaro. Bryant countered with bring in Amaro and his pace for long stretches. He scored another big goal for the 2nd straight game. With a week to prepare subs were limited for both teams. ………….. It was a brief early adjustment to the conditions and to Bryant’s high press which they only played in small stretches. SLU countered by having Carlos play both right back and right wing, and keeping an extra defender on the left side of the midfield. SLU scored via combination play up the middle setting up a set piece corner. And they scored with a wide build up finding Theo in space to draw a PK. SLU’s several other chances mirrored these plays. Bryant scored via sustained set piece pressure, and via a middle of the field turnover and quick transition counter. SLU goal. Blair distribution to Schramm who made a nice move up the field. And played DiMaria behind Bryant’s midfield. He played Heckenlaible down the left flank vs Talabi who is very good. But Andrew was able to win a corner. Corner service, Jack to Quentin. The set play was Schramm setting a pick on Fermin Rodriguez, a forward defending Blair. It was man marking and Quentin was wide open near post for a back post header 1-0 The secondary option on that play is Fournier back post. ……………….. Bryant forced s few turnovers shortly after SLU’s goal. And they won a few corners from their pressure. The goal was a set play with several players going near post while Delgado stayed back. He won the 50/50 aerial duel overpowering Barnett. DiMaria left his man, Rodriguez to try to win the header. Delgado to Rodriguez 1-1. Good service from Fernandez. ………………… Fournier played a ground, target, back to goal pass, to DiMaria about 45 yards from the Bryant goal. Too strong of a first touch for Jack. Fernandez and Veintimilla forced the turnover. And Veintimilla played a perfect through ball for Umar in space between Blair and Cortez. Jeremi tried to sprint to 25 yards out and dive st Umar. But Umar pushed the ball wide of the 18 and he found the open goal before JC could get there. 2-1. Very well executed quick transition counter out of a turnover. It was a goal against the run of play as SLU was controlling the second part of the first half. Bryant subbed in Umar for more pace up top and wide as he shares time at both for the rest of the game. ………………. Halftime ……………… KP and Xavi rotated with Tanner and Heckenlaible for continued fresh attackers. Coughlan rotated with Barnett for a more physical defender. That was it for subs for the game. …………….. Xavi, KP and Theo were providing consistent pressure early 2nd half. Fournier had nearly missed a goal on a set header. Bryant was on their heels. SLU goal. Fournier played it wide right sideline to Carlos middle of the field. He quickly played a ball down the line for Franca. He beat Jacobs to the ball. And he pressured Carvalho i to the misplay, wide of the box. Theo’s physicality won the positioning, and he earned a PK vs the 6’5 Carvalho. Blair, SLU’s PK taker, buried it upper right 90. 2-2 ………………… The officiating was very good all game which mattered. ………………… SLU had some chances to win the game in regulation. One was one they wanted back. Heckenlaible forced a turnover from Talabi. Played ahead to Franca 25 yards out. He had a wide open Anderson to his right in alone but he took a good shot instead just over the bar. ………………… In OT. Similar to a play in the first half, Schramm received a middle of the field pass from Fournier, and he made a strong turn and run to play Franca in space behind the defense. 10 yards out and it just hit the shoulder of Carvalho or the game is over. It was going to the wide open far corner. SLU did well to vary their attack up the middle, wide sideline, ling balls in from of the Bryant back line. Used the width of the field, with good spacing. Strong on 50/50 balls, aerial duels. ……………….. SLU has been excellent at taking PK’s, and, Jeremi is often good for 1-2 PK saves. Yes Jeremi intentionally obtains yellow cards during PK’s. It’s in part for self motivation, and in part to disrupt the other team. Same PK lineup in the same order for SLU with one exception. Tanner shot 4th instead of 5th, instead of Jeremi. ……………….

Thanks for posting. As long as they ask me to consult, SLU (Women and Men) and other non football four programs will always receive a fair shake at TDS. Sometimes individual or team rank discussions are more spirited than others.

Good player. Good teammate. As many know I don’t initiate posts regarding outgoing transfers. And I only reply if the player publicly chooses to post it themselves. Many don’t announce their transfers. I do have a list of every Women and Men’s transfer. Kate will get a chance to start and play more there. She was the starting goalkeeper on the Lou Fusz 06 Girls Academy Team that had several final fours and a GA national title. They had a young team that improved later in the season, and they also added two good KC area midfield transfers. Yes, it means SLU is adding a keeper. They have reached out to four, one has committed elsewhere. But they will land one of the others.

It was a slight edge to Bryant, but it was mostly neutral. Both teams knew the forecast all week. And it delivered. Chilly rain is preferred to brutal cold (Akron game will be the latter) but both mean you have to he more direct more often on passes and clears. And you have to play those passes and clears much harder and more deliberate than you normally would, to get to where they need to go. Usually their turf would play faster, but the rein neutralized that turf speed a little bit. The weather was a little bit like the first SLU Women’s game vs Loyola. It took SLU a few minutes early in the game to adjust to the conditions and Bryant pressing high with pace in those conditions. But it was fine the rest if the game. SLU’s game plan was the same as Indiana. Overload the left side, don’t play a right wing. It’s still a 4-4-2 but it can present as a 3-5-2. Run a defensive midfielder diagonally to the Bryant’s attacking midfielder and left back. Let Carlos play Jiana on Bryant’s left wing. It essentially means Carlos plays right back and right wing at the same time with help from the right side defensive midfielder (Barnett/Coughlan) Drop SLU’a left wing (Heckenlaible deeper than usual). Press 3 across the top, 2 Forwards (Tanner/Theo) and 1 midfielder (DiMaria) Bryant’s other key attacker (Amaro) plays right wing. SLU overloaded his side with 4 players. SLU plays roughly 3 games a year each year on turf, albeit not in those conditions. Bryant plays in more challenging weather more often. They had to shovel snow in Vermont to play one of their recent games.