SLU Women's Soccer Thread

[Lord Elrond]

2-1 Billiken lead! Goal off a corner by Lyndsey Heckel assisted by Katie Houck

[Lord Elrond]

Katie Houck made it back in after sitting out a few minutes. She seems fine.

[Lord Elrond]

3-1 Billiken s off an Emily Gaebe goal with 1 minute left

[Lord Elrond]

3-1 Billiken s off an Emily Gaebe goal with 1 minute left

[Lord Elrond]

Did it ! Billiken win!

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

1 minute ago, Lord Elrond said:

Did it ! Billiken win!

I was wondering if they were going to make those signs eventually they'll run out of room.

[Lord Elrond]

20 minutes ago, BrettJollyComedyHour said:

I was wondering if they were going to make those signs eventually they'll run out of room.

Smaller font!

[courtside]

14 hours ago, courtside said:

 

UMass.

UMass plays a 4-2-3-1. It sometimes will look like a 4-1-4-1. 

They start their best attacking player, Recinos, in the defensive midfield. She moves up when UMass presses. This is something they do with a lone striker, Groff, and the. It’s a stack of 4 behjnd her. 

Recinos is undersized but skilled, two footed, and quarterbacks the midfield. She can also fi ish as she knows how to find space in and near the 18. It’s effective to have specific size and pace player shadow her.

UMass is a physical team with some size in the attacking third. Groff, the Pedolzky sisters, Pinkus off of the bench, all have good size as targets, and Pinkus has some pace for pressing. Ryan will push up at right back. Peric is their big traditional center back. UMass has had lots of turnover at left back in part due to injury. When they lead games; they move Groff to left back. Otherwise Schultz and a few others will play there. Mendoza is a lefty keeper. 

Hislop and Lemond have some pace on the wings. It’s effective to play outside backs high near midfield against them. This will help negate the wide build up that UMass likes to play offensively. UMass scores some of the time on set pieces, 2nd, 3rd chances, when plays break down. 

In the first meeting, UMass was successful collapsing the middle back 6 of their defense. SLU’s diagonal runs were often met with a crowd of shot blocking defenders near the top of the 18. A counter to this is to play over the middle 4, then wide to the corners using the length and width of the field for service. This is how SLU scored its goal against them the previous meeting. SLU will look to push the pace at all times, speeding up the game.

Both teams have a lot to play for beyond a championship. UMass is a bubble team on the good side of the bubble for now. SLU is playing to secure on paper, a middle number NCAA Tourney seed. SLU is considered a 5/6 NCAA Tourney seed at this time. 

RPI will be 25 entering the game for SLU. 38 entering the game for UMass.

SLU 3  UMass 1

 

4-2-3-1 for both. UMass as expected tweaked to a 4-1-4-1 during the game. Unavailable for SLU: Luebbert.

13th minute Larson who defends as well as any attacking player, forced a turnover, played it up to Gaebe. Gaebe 1v2 against 2 center backs (Peric and Curry) is a mismatch for Gaebe. low far post inside the 18. 1-0. Larson also did a lot of great work on Ryan who is the UMass defender that gets forward on the right side. 

As soon as SLU scored, Recinos moved up and the 4-2-3-1 became a 4-1-4-1 for UMass. UMass played a very high back line. SLU did welp when they reversed fiields to play wide up the line in the attacking third. Le did this most. 

SLU is 7th in the country at winning corner kicks. It’s been a several year point of emphasis. SLU has progressively improved efficiency with them this season, and being more dangerous with them. An early Hedkel header over the bar, a Le shot off of the cross bar, SLU has progressively been more dangerous on corners and set piece foul free kicks throughout the season. SLU had an additional half dozen headers on free kicks, a few of which were near goals. 

UMass goal 37th minute was a hustle play at both ends. SLU clear wide of the box, Chandler Pedolzky used her size and pace to get around Heckel for a 50/50 ball cross to Recinos who used her quickness and ability to find space to get inside of Schwartz for the diving volley into the corner 1-1.

UMass had 1 other good chance as Recinos won a 50/50 ball wide of the box and she placed a nice through ball for Pinkus, but it was well defended.

………………..

Halftime

……………….

50th minute goal called back. Gaebe made a long run down the right side. She had her jersey grabbed and pulled by Curry the entire time. She centered to Larson for the goal but Larson was slightly offsides. That call was good. Not giving SLU a free kick after giving Curry a yellow card on the play was bad. 

………………..

60th minute, left side run for Larson, she was fouled from behind by Peric in the box for a PK. No call. Ensuing play left footed shot from Simon forced a leaping tip save. ………………..

Lots of heavy pressure and wide service throughout much of the 2nd half for SLU. Many good chances that weren’t even shots. Well played from backs to midfield to forwards.

……………

74th minute goal. Houck set piece corner to Heckel. a driving near post header made it 2-1. SLU has been much more dangerous on set pieces the 2nd half of the season. ……………..

84th minute Chandler Pedolzky had a 30 yard long distance shot off of the bar against the run of play.

……………

89th minute goal. UMass goal kick won by Larson who headed it up to Gaebe. Once again she was 1v2 with Furry and Peric and once again she scored. Emily took a quick half volley shot far post corner. 3-1

……………..

SLU will enter the NCAA Selection Show with an RPI of 21. They will be seeded, and they will receive a home game to be played next Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. ……………..

If SLU wins round 1, they will likely play a neutral site game in the 2nd round.  The host school would be a 1 or 2 seed. And SLU would play in the 3v6 game or 4v5 game. (Upsets tweak that) SLU has been projected as a 5 or 6 seed. First round matchups are often based on geography, but not always. And that often means a few teams will have to play more difficult or easier first round games than expected.

………………

4 of SLU’s 8 non-conference opponents are expected to be NCAA Tourney teams. Penn State, BYU, Xavier, Missouri State. 5 of SLU’s 8 non-conference opponents (Creighton and the above) finished with a top 100 RPI. Mizzou narrowly missed being the 6th. KC was top 200. SIUE had a rough season. 

………………

UMass (42 RPI) is in the last team in/first team out category. (I would put them in.) Dayton is projected as out, on the wrong side of the bubble again. 

……………

[courtside]

SLU will host Kansas this weekend. SLU received an 8 seed. 

……………..

Many expected Kansas to be seeded and to host the first round.  But Kansas didn’t submit a bid to host the first round. 

If SLU wins they likely travel to USC, a 1 seed and one of the best teams in the country this season. USC hosts Sacramento State. 
………………

Kansas was 5-5-4 at one point this season before winning 8 straight, including the Big 12 Conference Tourney. They are one of the hottest teams in the country. 

Kansas is led by 1st year Head Coach Nate Lie. Lie is very familiar to SLU as he built the Xavier program into a power. Lie left Xavier for the Kansas position in large part over $$$ budget and resources. He hired 2 different Associate Head Coaches to his staff and he re-hired an analytics coach from Penn State. It’s the first KU NCAA Tourney appearance since 2019, the year after they played SLU in the NCAA Tourney. KU is also off to a strong recruiting start at KU. They added 2 St. Louis players in 2026 while many others are from the coasts and all over. SLU recruits heavily in KC. 

…………….

Xavier was snubbed by the NCAA Committee and they did not receive an invite. Pretty rough for the 2nd place regular season and postseason Big East Team to jot receive an invite. Xavier finished 2nd to Georgetown and lost their fi al regular season game at Georgetown. Xavier lost the Big East Conference Tourney Title game late in the 2nd OT before PK’s to UConn. 

……………

I counted roughly 10 teams seeded better than SLU, some more than others, that I would have done differently. Out of that group a few were very far from what many others had in their projections. In short the Big 10 was way over seeded in the view of many. 

…………….

Besides Kansas, USC, Sacramento State, the other schools in SLU’s section of the bracket are Wisconsin, Maine, Princeton, Virginia. 

……………

Bubble teams that burst include UMass, Dayton, Pittsburgh, Memphis, etc….none were too u reasonable. 
……………

Several non Power 4 schools were under seeded, so much so that it is an obvious pattern. Utah State, Western Michigan, Xavier no invite, SLU etc….

…………..

The deciding factor for at large bids for bubble teams was top 50 wins. And it seems it was the only factor. 

…………..

It’s a great opportunity for SLU beginning this weekend, to get some wins, and make a run in the NCAA Tourney.

Kansas at SLU, Friday 7pm.

[SluSignGuy]

The Bracket for those interested

https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/soccer-women/d1/2024

[OkieBilliken]

1 hour ago, courtside said:

SLU will host Kansas this weekend. SLU received an 8 seed. 

……………..

Many expected Kansas to be seeded and to host the first round.  But Kansas didn’t submit a bid to host the first round. 

If SLU wins they likely travel to USC, a 1 seed and one of the best teams in the country this season. USC hosts Sacramento State. 
………………

Kansas was 5-5-4 at one point this season before winning 8 straight, including the Big 12 Conference Tourney. They are one of the hottest teams in the country. 

Kansas is led by 1st year Head Coach Nate Lie. Lie is very familiar to SLU as he built the Xavier program into a power. Lie left Xavier for the Kansas position in large part over $$$ budget and resources. He hired 2 different Associate Head Coaches to his staff and he re-hired an analytics coach from Penn State. It’s the first KU NCAA Tourney appearance since 2019, the year after they played SLU in the NCAA Tourney. KU is also off to a strong recruiting start at KU. They added 2 St. Louis players in 2026 while many others are from the coasts and all over. SLU recruits heavily in KC. 

…………….

Xavier was snubbed by the NCAA Committee and they did not receive an invite. Pretty rough for the 2nd place regular season and postseason Big East Team to jot receive an invite. Xavier finished 2nd to Georgetown and lost their fi al regular season game at Georgetown. Xavier lost the Big East Conference Tourney Title game late in the 2nd OT before PK’s to UConn. 

……………

I counted roughly 10 teams seeded better than SLU, some more than others, that I would have done differently. Out of that group a few were very far from what many others had in their projections. In short the Big 10 was way over seeded in the view of many. 

…………….

Besides Kansas, USC, Sacramento State, the other schools in SLU’s section of the bracket are Wisconsin, Maine, Princeton, Virginia. 

……………

Bubble teams that burst include UMass, Dayton, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, etc….none were too u reasonable. 
……………

Several non Power 4 schools were under seeded, so much so that it is an obvious pattern. Utah State, Western Michigan, Xavier no invite, SLU etc….

…………..

The deciding factor for at large bids for bubble teams was top 50 wins. And it seems it was the only factor. 

…………..

It’s a great opportunity for SLU beginning this weekend, to get some wins, and make a run in the NCAA Tourney.

Kansas at SLU, Friday 7pm.

Don’t love this draw.   Tennessee actually got in.  I bet we needed to win yesterday to get in.   

[courtside]

38 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Don’t love this draw.   Tennessee actually got in.  I bet we needed to win yesterday to get in.   

Yep. I’ll edit that. I had Memphis on my brain and I typed Tennessee. 

I like the draw for SLU. Some had asked me which teams SLU might play and Kansas was the first one I said even though others expected them to be seeded. I also thought Oklahoma State or Pittsburgh (didn’t make it). 

The committee did mix it up a little bit. Arkansas is not playing Missouri State again for example. 

Of note, USC’s new $38 million soccer and lacrosse stadium won’t be ready until Spring 2025. They played most of their games at L.A. Galaxy in Carson, and, a few at the L.A. Coliseum. Both LA Galaxy and LAFC are playing in the MLS playoffs. And of course UCLA is also hosting in the NCAA Tourney. USC will play at LA Galaxy this weekend 

All things Kansas this week. It will be a tough game. Kansas has a good, well coached team. But SLU is pretty good too. These are the games you want. Time to go get it. 

[willie]

3 hours ago, courtside said:

Yep. I’ll edit that. I had Memphis on my brain and I typed Tennessee. 

I like the draw for SLU. Some had asked me which teams SLU might play and Kansas was the first one I said even though others expected them to be seeded. I also thought Oklahoma State or Pittsburgh (didn’t make it). 

The committee did mix it up a little bit. Arkansas is not playing Missouri State again for example. 

Of note, USC’s new $38 million soccer and lacrosse stadium won’t be ready until Spring 2025. They played most of their games at L.A. Galaxy in Carson, and, a few at the L.A. Coliseum. Both LA Galaxy and LAFC are playing in the MLS playoffs. And of course UCLA is also hosting in the NCAA Tourney. USC will play at LA Galaxy this weekend 

All things Kansas this week. It will be a tough game. Kansas has a good, well coached team. But SLU is pretty good too. These are the games you want. Time to go get it. 

What the hell. I agree. We think these ladies are pretty good. Let’s just go and prove it. 

[Midtown Madness]

https://x.com/MidtownMadPod/status/1856414777993757

 

 

[courtside]

19 hours ago, willie said:

What the hell. I agree. We think these ladies are pretty good. Let’s just go and prove it. 

SLU has a better team than Kansas. If both teams play their best, I’d take my chances with SLU. That doesn’t mean Kansas isn’t good and that they can’t win the game. They most certainly can win the game. And they’re good. But I’d take SLU. Kansas is one of the hottest teams in the country that went from being on the wrong side of the bubble, to winning 8 straight, including some over some pretty good NCAA Tourney teams. 

Western Michigan projected as a 6 seed was unseeded and has to go to Michigan State. Utah State projected as a 5 seed, was seeded 8th. SLU was projected as a 5/6 seed.

Rutgers, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Georgia, were all well over seeded and received way better than expected situations. LSU and Colorado were not projected as NCAA Tourney teams, and certainly not over Xavier and possibly UMass. Georgetown coach Dave Nolan said Xavier was the best team they played this year. 

1st Rounds are often but not always about geography when possible. And the committee tries to change up opponents annually. 

SLU has a great opportunity to make a run. They are good enough to do so. 

[courtside]

 

Kansas Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks play a 3-5-2, which is a similar formation to what previous head coach Mark Francis used, but, they play it in a much different way. 

Kansas plays an aggressive, trapping, pressure defense. It’s imperative to keep decisions simple and high percentage deep in SLU’s own end. Kansas is less a build from the back possession team, and more a defend, trap, and counter in transition team.

They score via high pressure trapping the wings, forcing mistakes. Set pieces. Long balls to Watts in space.

3 big, tall, athletic, center back defenders, Kante Boeve, and Page. Kante will get forward a little bit to midfield. And she’s likely to play long balls to Watts and Wimes. KU’s center backs will move up and play high defending target passes in the final third. 

5 midfielders, 2 traditional undersized but hard working central defensive midfielders, Merlo and Langfelder. 2 pace and length wing backs on either side. Castans and Wood. Castans is a two time All Big 12 player on the left side, a good two way left footed player on the left flank. Have to make her play her right foot inside. 1 central attacking midfielder, Gregorski. She is most likely to get a head on set pieces and find 50/50 balls in the 18 and other service. Fjelstad checks in off of the bench as a physical wing back that likes to mix it up wide with wings.

2 Forwards, Watts and Wimes. both pace players. Watts is a 2 time All Big 12 performer. She is a high volume shot taker from anywhere. She hasn’t met a shot she doesn’t like. She is their biggest scoring threat, long diagonal runs in transition. Finding space inside the 18. cannot leave her unmarked in the final third. Wimes adds an additional capable scorer. Much of KU’s later half subs are pace forwards for pressing defense.

KU is dangerous on set pieces, especially the 2nd or 3rd clear. They score often on hustle plays. More recently they’ve been successful with their big target center backs.

Kansas will press with 2 forwards, and the central attacking midfirlder between and behind them up the middle. 2 wing backs push up and trap wide. It’s important to get strong central midfield play (Le, Schwartz, Simon, Larson, etc) finding open space in the crowd of 5. Reversing fields and playing diagonal balls in space over the top wide and spread out the back 3 of Kansas. The space for SLU will often be in the middle of the field (Merlo/Langfelder/Gregorski) Take the space and reverse fields. Forwards have to find spots in between the 3 center backs edge of the 18.

The Jayhawks overplay the passing lanes often. You have to fake target passes and chip, try different things. They are overly aggressive, and when they defend in transition, they defend the 18 with 8, leaving the 2 forwards at midfield. Teams that press don’t like to be pressed. There is an opportunity for high pressure from SLU as the KU back 3 is vulnerable to turnovers at times under pressure.

Much of the success of Kansas is the collective high motor of the sum of its parts. They rely upon a high group defensive work rate and turning that into scoring opportunities. They are less effective when they come out flat. It’s important to have poise but urgency when their defenders run at players which they do often. Front foot, sharp, 90 minutes. Efficient with opportunities. limit defensive side of the field mistakes. Strong on the ball. 

Dawe is a big confident 5’11 keeper that is playing well. It’s important to make her uncomfortable and busy on set pieces snd to find rebounds. 

SLU will likely play the same 4-2-3-1 with the same personnel that they have since midseason. This is a similar formation that Nate Lie played most of the time at Xavier. Lots of familiarity and friendliness between coaching staffs. When it’s sometimes difficult to get the good teams to schedule home and home games, these two staffs have played one another home and home for many years. Katie Shields politely turned down interest from KU during their coaching search last season. 

KU has a younger team with few exceptions: They start 3 Freshman and play a 4th. They also start a RS Freshman .They start 3 Sophomores and a RS Sophomore. They start 1 Junior, another is injured. They start 2 grad students. 

While both Texas Tech and TCU played well vs Kansas in the Big 12 Tourney, they both made mistakes deep in their own end to cost them goals. Too many back passes and horizontal passes. And they weren’t quick enough takers around the 18 offensively. Shot accuracy and efficiency. KU is vulnerable defending the weak side 

KU will open with high pressure until the game settles down. Energy needs to match, while being strong and purposeful on the ball. 

[Billiken Rich]

In typical SLU non-revenue sport fashion the $5 ticket offer of yesterday became a free ticket offer today.  I'll be there with my lovely wife after beers and pretzels at Urban Chestnut.  I'll be wearing a white SLU hoodie if anyone wants to come and beat me up.  Can't think of a better way to spend a crisp fall night......other than the possible beating of course.

[CenHudDude]

2 hours ago, Billiken Rich said:

In typical SLU non-revenue sport fashion the $5 ticket offer of yesterday became a free ticket offer today.  I'll be there with my lovely wife after beers and pretzels at Urban Chestnut.  I'll be wearing a white SLU hoodie if anyone wants to come and beat me up.  Can't think of a better way to spend a crisp fall night......other than the possible beating of course.

I’m not about to attack anyone in a hoodie.  I may be a little stupid, but I’m not crazy.  Enjoy the beer and pretzels.

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

3 hours ago, Billiken Rich said:

I'll be wearing a white SLU hoodie if anyone wants to come and beat me up. 

I really hope someone on the board does just because you invited it although I don't wish you harm lol

[Lord Elrond]

3 hours ago, Billiken Rich said:

In typical SLU non-revenue sport fashion the $5 ticket offer of yesterday became a free ticket offer today.  I'll be there with my lovely wife after beers and pretzels at Urban Chestnut.  I'll be wearing a white SLU hoodie if anyone wants to come and beat me up.  Can't think of a better way to spend a crisp fall night......other than the possible beating of course.

Free tickets mean the kids come out. Kids at a Billiken non-revenue event flock to the concession stand and get their parents to open up their wallets, a task made easier by their parents remembering the free tickets.  What the Billikens give up on the front end with ticket sales, they make up for on the back end between concessions and parking.

[billikenfan05]

1 hour ago, Lord Elrond said:

Free tickets mean the kids come out. Kids at a Billiken non-revenue event flock to the concession stand and get their parents to open up their wallets, a task made easier by their parents remembering the free tickets.  What the Billikens give up on the front end with ticket sales, they make up for on the back end between concessions and parking.

I think Rich is more upset that he paid for tickets, and then they gave them away for free.

[Lord Elrond]

45 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

I think Rich is more upset that he paid for tickets, and then they gave them away for free.

Fair enough, I paid the full $12 for mine. Not sure the giving away free tickets strategy will work tonight anyway, it’s going to be cold in those bleachers.  I will probably look like the old Michelin Man cartoon after I get through layering up.

[Lord Elrond]

Free Vevuzelas being given away at the gates

[Lord Elrond]

Hermann Stadium is filling up pretty well. 

[slufanskip]

8 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

Hermann Stadium is filling up pretty well. 

That has to be finished