courtside

First career MLS game for Simon Becher. And, he gets his first career MLS goal, the equalizer in the 88th minute. 2-1 Whitecaps win: https://twitter.com/WhitecapsFC/status/1555773640930562049?t=JpNOMZwUktaWDPHG32eh7A&s=19 https://twitter.com/WhitecapsFC/status/1555776839431245824?t=hlIrT3pLbnqmCW-tK6_whw&s=19

Jeebs has started 15 games with Houston Dynamo 2. (1291 minutes) Parker has 16 starts. (1364 minutes) Niece has 11 starts (656 minutes) Becher has 18 starts. (1415 minutes) Schulte has 9 starts (810 minutes) Vaughn played in USL with L.A. Galaxy II. AJ has played in 17 games, starting 11. (918 minutes) Austin will be adding an MLS Next Pro team in 2023. Former SLU commit Devin Padelford has started 15 games with MNUFC2, 1316 minutes. 2023 SLU commit Carlos Leatherman has started 12 of 13 games and played 1057 minutes.

Following that league is also a good way to learn more about SLU commits, as well as previous SLU commits who never make it to campus and go pro instead.

Most of the SLU players start most games in MLS Next Pro. If you follow/watch that league, you will see lots and lots of SLU alums playing a lot of minutes. Often times they go head to head against each other. Kipp has been an MLS roster player.

You’re projecting again, as well as unsurprisingly posting nothing that adds to the topic discussion. If you have something to add about Women’s soccer, add it. Otherwise, move it along.

If the author of this thread (or Steve) wants to change the title to 2022-2023, that’s fine, and it would probably be helpful to some people here.

Simon Becher is getting a Vancouver Whitecaps MLS call up, after a strong season with WFC2. Well earned: https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/whitecaps-fc-sign-wingback-ali-ahmed-and-striker-simon-becher-to-mls-short-term-

For those seeking more info about this, I posted about it back in mid June when Peyton was hired: https://www.billikens.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29777-slu-womens-soccer-thread-2020-2021/page/29/#comment-722744 https://slubillikens.com/news/2022/7/27/womens-soccer-bauman-joins-wsoc-staff-as-director-of-operations.aspx

SLU has a new 2023 commit from Carlos Leatherman, from St. Paul, Minnesota. Carlos has played for both Minnesota United FC Academy (MNUFC) and MNUFC2. And he has also trained with the Minnesota United FC first team. Most recently Carlos was selected to play in the inaugural MLS next All Star Game. He has been a teammate of 2022 SLU commit CJ Coppola. He played about a dozen games with his academy team, and about a dozen games with his MLS Next Pro Team, starting for both. (Former Billiken Patrick Weah is also a MNUFC player.) With MNUFC2, Carlos has played right back, along the same back line as former SLU commit Devin Padelford.(Devin, a left back, signed a pro deal instead of going to to SLU, after his accelerated development). Carlos is a speedy, athletic wing back who plays very well 1v1 both defensively and offensively, especially in space. https://twitter.com/cleathermanjr/status/1553130872337010693?s=21&t=cF_hd1qXpZJ0TICj8Btu5g

Championship Summer continues for SLU players and SLU commits. Congratulations to SLU’s Julia Simon, and her team, (Chicago Mustangs), for winning the 2022 United Women’s Soccer (UWS) Championship. They won 2-1 over Foothills (Calgary), and in the semis 1-0 over Athenians (San Antonio) Along the way, Julia led her team in goals (12), including a dramatic National Semifinal game winner in the 82nd minute, and, the equalizer in a 2-1 win in the final. https://twitter.com/uwssoccer/status/1551162845290708993?s=21&t=gIECirixD8nbwbyoMpAuLg For her efforts, Julia was named Tournament MVP. https://twitter.com/uwssoccer/status/1551375060694335488?s=21&t=IujN0uu3OfM5Mk6zOoDvcA ………………… This comes on the heels of SLU’s Caroline Kelly and Sophia Stram helping to lead their KC Current II team to the WPSL National Semifinals. (Kelly led KC Current II in scoring) …………………. After her team finished in the U19 Girls Academy National Quarterfinals, SLU’s Nina Preusser helped her dad’s U18 team to the USYS National Semifinals this past weekend as well. …………………

It’s a strong class. Both the SLU Men and Women’s teams (which have different circumstances each) have an inside out recruiting approach which includes,’the state, region, nationally, and internationally. These incoming recruits of course don’t also count commits who signed professionally instead of attending SLU. That will happen here and there as it did with this class. SLU will continue to recruit a diverse group of players MLS Next, (most recently in Dallas) ECNL, (St. Louis hosted the finals after being in Sam Diego) USYS, (most recently in Indy and Chicago) transfers, (wide geography), and internationals. More information about the 2022 class is in previous pages of the thread,’as well as for some of the 2023 commits.

SLU released its 2022 recruiting class. We talked about these players here. Scroll back for more info. Here they are in one place: https://slubillikens.com/news/2022/7/18/mens-soccer-billikens-add-strong-2022-recruiting-class.aspx

She’s good, which is what matters most. She’s tall enough, and fast enough. She isn’t one of the few super tall 5’11 Center Backs SLU is recruiting. She is isn’t the big, strong, broad shouldered, physical center back SLU is recruiting. And, she isn’t one of the few speedy wing backs that SLU is also recruiting. She’s a high compete level, lock down marking back. Like some other SLU commits, she had opportunities in multiple Power 5/6 leagues. Here’s a photo of her next to her 5’8 teammate. Ulla is on the left: https://twitter.com/stldevacademy/status/1527803933565104133?s=21&t=GoCE03MrTgTQE45CooSXeg …………………. Keep in mind, for reference, when SLU lost in the NCAA Tourney to eventual Final Four team Rutgers last year, the Scarlet Knights best defender, First Team All American, and Finalist for National Player of the Year, was 5 foot 5.(Gabby Provenzano) And just before that, the best defender in the country, and NCAA National Champion, (Alex Loera) was 5 foot 7. So, sure, many teams like big tall strong center backs, and speedy wing backs and so forth. But sometimes the best players aren’t the tallest or fastest or this or that.

SLU has received a 2024 commitment from Ulla Sharp. Ulla is an athletic, versatile, tight marking, backline player who plays high school ball for Edwardsville, and, club ball for St. Louis Development Academy. (STLDA used to be Sporting St. Louis. They changed July, 2022) Most recently, Ulla was selected to play at the Girls Academy National ID Camp, which was held in St. Louis. Her U17 team recently competed in the Girls Academy Final 16 National Playoffs in San Diego, finishing just short of the National Final Four. As a Sophomore, Ulla helped lead high school team to the Illinois Class 3A Large School State Quarterfinals. (falling to the eventual state champions.)

Congratulations to 2024 SLU commit Ashley Miller and her team for winning the U17 President’s Cup National Championship in North Carolina. In addition to being a Best Eleven player, Ashley won the Golden Boot Award, and, she was named President’s Cup Most Valuable Player.