courtside

https://x.com/sluwsoccer/status/1998544904730103943?s=46 Last year Katie Shields was ranked as the 4th best coach in the country. This year she is 6th. Only the top 60 are ranked. And she is the highest ranked female head coach in the country once again. Prior to 2025, Katie ranked 9th nationally in win percentage (.713) in her time at SLU. Since 2016, she ranked 2nd nationally. (.792) From 2018-2024, SLU was 1 of only 13 programs to make each NCAA Tournament. IN 5 of the last 6 seasons, SLU has had an RPI for 31 or better: 7, 10, 10, 22, 31. 4 NCA Tourney wins. This is all while competing against 350 programs, 67 of which, are football four programs. Some of those programs have $5 million annual operating expenses.

After many twists and turns, the past few months, Bobby Shuttleworth is the new Head Coach at Texas A&M: https://12thman.com/news/2025/12/9/shuttleworth-selected-to-guide-aggie-soccer https://seminoles.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/coaches/bobby-shuttleworth/961

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) Jeannette Fieldsend. Charlotte, NC Caroline Fowlkes. THe Woodlands, TX (Houston) Gillian Poiesz. New Providence, NJ. (NYC)

Moved. SLU is adding Memphis Sophomore transfer Gillian Poiesz. GIllian is an outside back from New Providence, NJ (NYC). She was a First Team ECNL All Conference player with Match Fit Academy in the North Atlantic League. (This includes all of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland). And, she played high school soccer for New Providence High School, where she had 29 goals and 17 assists from a defensive position earning several New Jersey accolades. Memphis a top 10 team much of the year, was an NCAA Round of. 32 team this season. They have also been to two Sweet 16’s in the past 4 seasons with wins over Illinois, Notre Dame, LSU. Mississippi State, and Saint Louis) While Gillian hasn’t played many games with Memphis, SLU believes they can use her a different way and unlock her abilities as a high level youth experienced, outside back. (watching Video, holding workouts, coach discussion are all part of that process etc) It’s a position where SLU was seeking depth. They chose Gillian over several other players at the position. Name pronunciation/sounds like: “Jillian Poise”

Moved. SLU is adding College of Charleston transfer Caroline Fowlkes, to its 2026 recruiting class. Caroline is a redshirt Sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas. (Houston). She had an injury her first season. Caroline, is a versatile player, who has played both forward and outside back. She helped lead the Cougars to 19 wins over the past two seasons. Caroline has 2 years of eligibility remaining. Caroline started 14 of 17 games for College of Charleston this season. And, she played in 20 games last season. Caroline also has experience playing against NCAA Teams such as South Carolina (twice), and Wake Forest. She played well in those games. Caroline helped her team offensively with 5 goals last year, and, she had 4 assists this year from a defensive position. A physical and pace playing outside back, Caroline is able to defend wide and inside, as well as get down the flank offensively. Caroline played 13 years of club soccer with the Houston Dash in Girls Academy. She played high school soccer at Tomball High School, where she had 24 goals and 14 assists as a First Team All Region player. She was named the MVP of Texas Region 15-6A. Caroline’s sister Alexis, is also a soccer player. She recently completed her Senior season at Houston. Alexis played in 52 games as a midfielder for Texas Tech and Houston.

Moved. SLU is adding James Madison transfer Jeanette Fieldsend to its 2026 recruiting class. She is a Redshirt Sophomore, with 2 years of eligibility remaining. Jeanette, is a 2 year starter in the central attacking midfield for the Dukes, where she has contributed 6 goals and 7 assists over 39 games. (31 starts) Jeanette also took many of their set pieces. She missed the 2024 season due to injury. She played, and she started, in 2023 and 2025. James Madison, under HC Josh Walters, was an NCAA Tourney team in 2023 and 2024. And, they were 1 PK away from returning this season. They had a top 50 RPI 2 of those seasons. Jeanette was named to the Sun Belt 2nd Team. Prior to JMU, Jeanette was a top 100 player at CSA club in Charlotte, NC. She was a 3 time First Team ECNL selection. That includes all of Virginia, North Carolina, and DC. Jeanette has also been a member of the U.S. Futsal team the past decade. Most recently, she was 1 of 14 players that represented the United States in the Concacaf Championship this past Spring. No stranger to the Billikens, Jeanette was recruited by SLU before she ended up at James Madison.

Congratulations, and good luck, to incoming SLU transfer Jeanette Fieldsend, who was named as 1 of 3 finalists for United States Futsal, Female Player of The Year. If you are unfamiliar with Futsal: https://futsal.com/history-of-futsal/

SLU is adding Memphis Sophomore transfer Gillian Poiesz. GIllian is an outside back from New Providence, NJ (NYC). She was a First Team ECNL All Conference player with Match Fit Academy in the North Atlantic League. (This includes all of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland). And, she played high school soccer for New Providence High School, where she had 29 goals and 17 assists from a defensive position earning several New Jersey accolades. Memphis a top 10 team much of the year, was an NCAA Round of. 32 team this season. They have also been to two Sweet 16’s in the past 4 seasons with wins over Illinois, Notre Dame, LSU. Mississippi State, and Saint Louis) While Gillian hasn’t played many games with Memphis, SLU believes they can use her a different way and unlock her abilities as a high level youth experienced, outside back. (watching Video, holding workouts, coach discussion are all part of that process etc) It’s a position where SLU was seeking depth. They chose Gillian over several other players at the position. name pronunciation/sounds like: “Jillian Poise”

Yep. Stanford could have had lopsided leads in both games. Great goalkeeping. But that’s soccer. there could have been several goals. Also scoring chances aren’t always shots. FSU was having some success getting All American Jordynn Dudley in space on the right side. So late first half, Stanford moved St. Louisan Lily Freer, from right back, to Left Center Back the rest of the game, to help offset that. Stanford was the best team this year much of the season. FSU was able to win a late corner, and they were relentless with 2nd and 3rd chances on the clear. FSU’s forwards are 5’11 and 6’2 with speed, physicality, and on ball skill. When people ask about style of play, show them Florida State. They won a national title a few seasons ago with a complete different style of play. And during this season, they changed their style of play multiple times, along with their formations. Very different styles too. Good effort from both teams. The College Cup Final Four in KC yielded just 3 goals combined, in 2 games. This was from the #1, #6, #15, #17 offenses in the country. This will bring about the fold weather location discussion. As stated, there were many high level scoring chances in the games. It was an unpopular December geographic weather choice for many, as was the simultaneous KC ECNL showcase which SLU and a few hundred other schools attended. (St. Louis showcase weather was just as cold last year) The College Cup Final Four held in STL in December of 2006, was frigid too with 2 SoCal teams in the final.

This is incorrect. My strong recommendation is that you read both the NCAA Soccer rules, as well the International Football Association Board rules. (IFAB). NCAA soccer has aligned their rules with IFAB. In particular, I suggest you study Law 12 of IFAB. Intent does matter both on handballs in the box, as well with kicks to the head. It also matters if a player is unintentionally reckless. Handballs are defined as below the armpit line. An emphasis is on whether or not the player intentionally, or unintentionally extends his arm away from his body to make himself bigger. If the arm is in a natural position close to the body, it is not a handball. Shoulder is also not a handball. Obviously intentionally touching the ball is a handball. Intent, recklessness, and result of action, all matter in kicks to the head, to define red card vs yellow card vs no card at all. This is also covered in Law 12. Akron’s broadcast team is Chad Welker who does play by play, and Josh Kay, analyst. I have been able to go back to watch the plays. Josh, the mellow sounding analyst, was spot on for both plays. I am referring to the kick to Theo’s head which resulted in a red card. And I am referring to the KP shot that was called for a hand ball PK, which Q scored. So, if you don’t like reading, and you prefer to watch or listen, Josh had very good, fair takes and interpretations on both plays, especially considering it’s a home broadcast. Focus on him instead of Chad. These can also help. https://www.footballrules.com/offences-sanctions/handball/ https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/handball-football-rules-changes-fifa-uefa-hand-ball-soccer/tdnqkct6nzocrbfvscrxvtzl

it’s common for soccer polls/rankings to not take place during the NCAA Tournament. There is a several week gap, between the beginning of the NCAA Tourney, and after it is completed. Then there is a final poll. United Soccer Coaches does this for example. The founder of College Soccer News, Bob Bradner, unexpectedly passed away in April of 2024. It did not exist in 2024. In June of 2025, it returned this Fall in a new format, with the guys from Tobbin90, (Charlotte) Jorge Gonzales and Brian Mauer.

It’s not. Yes charter was flown. Additional people fly on the planes besides the team. Seat capacity was 30. It’s also common for some players to not make the travel squad for certain games. Some are whole team, some are not.

Tonight is the National Championship game between Florida State, and Stanford. Florida State is seeking its 5th NCAA National Title, all within the past 12 seasons. They have been to 15 College Cup Final Fours, all within the past 23 seasons. Stanford is seeking its 4th NCAA National Title. This is their 13th College Cup Final Four. 12 of those, have been within the past 18 seasons. These are also 2 of the top 6 offensive teams in college soccer. Stanford’s 96 goals are the most since Stanford of 2019. The cold weather will challenge some of that. But these are two teams that can score goals. St. Louis connection. Stanford starts 2 true Freshman from St. Louis. Lily Freer, and Caroline Birkel. They were teammates on back to back ECNL Scott Gallagher National Championship teams at U16 and U17. SLU’s Audrey Smith, Ava Rademeyer, and Blakely Hockett, played on those teams. Freer mostly played the 6, a central defensive midfield for Gallagher. She starts at outside back for Stanford, more often right back .Birkel is their starting goalkeeper. Freer played 1 year (Freshman) of high school soccer at Alton. Birkel did not play high school soccer at MICDS. Birkel has been a many year, many age group USYNT goalkeeper. Freer less so but I expect that to change moving forward. Florida State has players from 13 states, and 4 countries. Stanford has players from 9 states. All of their players are from the U.S., and, 18 of their players are from California.

Do they follow college soccer? SLU Women defeated Georgetown in the 2023 NCAA Tourney. They are two of the best non football four programs nationally. Georgetown’s Men’s program won the 2019 National Championship. Brian Wiese and Kevin Kalish are friends. Similar schools and programs. I guarantee you Dan Helfrich knows and respects SLU soccer. Sasho too. SLU and Georgetown would play more often, but Georgetown doesn’t travel as much as some other programs. Xavi O’Neil is from the DMV.

25% of SLU’s rotation players played for St. Louis City Academy. One of those only played 8 games due to injury. Then it drops to 20%. A few more will play next year.