SLU beats Dayton 1-1...........

[gister]

It took penalty kicks for the Bills to beat Dayton tonight to advance to the championship on Sunday at 1:00. Dayton really took it to the Bills in the first few minutes with a shot bouncing off the left post and Sackman tipping one just over the goal.

SLU scored with 3+ seconds left in the first half. They held off Dayton until about the 68th minute when Dayton tied it up. SLU didn't seem to be as aggressive in the second half. Their passing seemed ragged. But they hung on through 2 overtimes and the penalty kicks. No. 15 for Dayton was a monster (6'5"), and caused all kinds of problems. But the Bills won.

Now if the women can hang on ( they lead Stanford 2-0 with about 23 minutes to play), it will be a great night.

[TheA_Bomb]

Thanks for clarifying. I was checking the stat tracker but one thing that it fails to tell you is who won. It was saying 1-1 OT for about 30 min. and didn't say who won. We need to win this tourney at home and get back into the big tourney. Come on SLU women.

[slufanskip]

SLU dominated the game. Dayton had some good chances, but if it wasn't for their keeper SLU could have had 5. He had an incredible game. Maybe the best I've ever seen against SLU ... but then during the Penalty kicks he was non existent, Ya gotta pick a side and go. I called Dayton's miss. The guy couldn't go left ... all game he spun back right and even had to udjust himself on the ball a few times to go right. As a 20 year GK ... I knew he would pull it left and he did.

No superstars for the Bills. Dado played well when in. I don't know why he didn't get more minutes. Wileman is ridiculously out of shape, but the stats show he makes things happen ... I always wonder why he is in ... but then he scores a goal.

We lucked into our goal. Off a corner the ball was loose and Angus just slowly pushed it forward (I guess he mishit it) and it just creeped past everyone and into the goal with 3 seconds left in the 1st half.

Dayton starts 4 guys from Stl. #15 was very good must have been 6'4". but he took alot of time off. I think the 1st lesson they learn at Dayton is that before you play the ball ... first grab the jersey or wrap you arms around and hold the opponnent nearest you.

Good win for the Bills though. RI did not look good in the 1st game. Their D is very weak getting the ball out. 50% of the balls they attempt to move to the midfielders or play wrong were mishit. If we are active up front and pressure them, we can get some steals in the backfield.

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[gister]

The Bills were outshot 21-7 by Stanford and Stanford led 9-1 in corner kicks, but the Bills found a way to win.

Up next is Santa Clara (CL's old school). The Bills lost to them 2-1 at Santa Clara earlier in the year. Should be a good game on Sunday.

Great night in soccer for the Billikens!!!!!

[HenryB]

Gals get it done... 2-0 over Stanford

[gister]

My son-in-law, former SLU goalie, standing next to me, called it as well. I'm not an expert, but he did not seem to move well during the penalty kicks.

[slufanskip]

Thats what I thought. Stat tracker showed 2-0.

After the game Dayton's GK had ... I thought they had the advantage going to penalty kicks ... sometimes it's just a keepers day and this looked like his. Then all of a sudden he just looked lost. It was ok with me though.

Who is your son in law.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[gister]

Check you PM.

[kwyjibo]

Great news on both victories!

SLU vs Rhode Island on CSTV Sunday at 1pm Central (rebroadcast at 7pm Central) for those out of towners. It should be fun to watch.

(Unfortunately I have a friend's party on Sunday afternoon so I am thinking I should be able to get to a bar to see the rebroadcast fresh. I know I am getting old when friends have parties on Sunday afternoon without the NFL involved).

[slufanskip]

Thanks, I was just curious. That is one of the things I like about going to the SLU games, so many ex players there.

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[SLUBALLS]

Can anyone explain to me why Johnny D had maybe 5 touches all game? I don't understand why we kept going down the left side with Casey Spiess rather than utilize Wynn and Johnny down the right flank. SLU will have to play better than they did to beat RI. RI gave them a great game last time even though Wileman headed in the winner with 2.8 seconds to go in the second overtime. RI has a great centerback.

NOte: Soderberg was at the game last night. I know he saw the first goal before half time for sure.

[bluecrewfinance]

All of this goalkeeper talk...don't overlook that Sack told us after the game "I spent all morning at my job finding out which way their guys went when they took PKs"...he knew where they were all going before they stepped up and was even disappointed that he didn't get to see #10 because that guy had gone the same way four times...that sounds like a player who wants it to me...

[SLURadioBoy]

Unfortunately Sackman didn't know URI's PK habits good enough since URI didn't miss a single one in the shootout in the Championship. Looking like another year out of the NCAA's for the soccer team. Anyone think Donigan might not be back next year?

"Praises we sing, to you our alma mater,

Praise to the white and blue.

Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you,

We hail Saint Louis U."

Official Billikens.com sponsor of Andrew Latimer

[slufanskip]

Donnigan will be back ... get real

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[tseugnekillib]

When Coach Donigan returns next season, hopefully he will have 3 or 4 new impact players on the roster. Players making plays win games....not systems.

I find it interesting that a year ago the SLU coaching staff was very much concerned with the negative impact the weak A-10 would have on SLU's ranking. Perhaps this superiority complex flowed down to the players.

Whatever....I think everyone in the SLU soccer program learned a few lessons this season. One being that talk is cheap. Secondly, I don't believe the top A-10 teams and their players, including their international players, were intiminated by St. Louis players one bit.

SLU soccer has much work to do over the next nine months.

[SLUBALLS]

SLU should have been up 3-1 in the first half. The second RI goal should have never happened. Total miscommunication by Sackman and Angus. Wileman almost won it in overtime but he was a half-second off on his run to a corner kick and couldn't get enough head on the ball to redirect. SLU looked good but looking good and winning are two separate things.

Need impact players at forward and center mid. We have fine role players at most. Matteson and Sweetin bust their ass up and down the field but don't have the creativity to pick apart an opponent.

Hopefully since we made it to the finals of the conference and Duquense lost in the semi's, we'll be put ahead for the an large bid.

[SLURadioBoy]

I'm not saying I think or want Donigan to be fired. I was just wondering if anyone thought we might be? I remember the coach before Warming getting fired after SLU didn't make it to the Tourney for the first time in 30+ years. Just wondering if anyone thoght the same might happen to Dan? I guess I should have worded it better.

"Praises we sing, to you our alma mater,

Praise to the white and blue.

Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you,

We hail Saint Louis U."

Official Billikens.com sponsor of Andrew Latimer

[tseugnekillib]

an early SLU shot in the 1st half hits the left goal post and comes out.

URI hits a left goal post later in the first half and ball rockets into the SLU goal. Such is soccer.....!

[courtside]

I realy try hard to be objective on this topic or any other for that matter. I have seen a lot of soccer this year from other teams in other markets, let alone SLU.

I can say without hesitation that SLU is good enough to make the NCAA. Will they? They are clearly a bubble team. I do think they will get it, and get a fierce, tough road game, round one. It would say absolutely little of the conference if only RI got in. SLU beat Duquesne, and Duquesne lost in conference semis. If Duquesne gets in over SLU, it will be wrong, mostly due to the above mentioned but also that Duquesne doesn't have a standout elite non-conference resume.

I for one was down right puzzled and shocked how the adidas poll had SMU 10 last week. Did I miss something? Sure, SMU had been rolling lately...but their big wins are Memphis and Tulsa. SLU crushed them as did everyone else early. I will give them credit for a fierce non-conference schedule, but they lost all of those games. I digress.

Back to SLU. If you win your reg season conference(yes, #1 when you beat both other co-teams)...and go to conf tourney finals and lose in pk's and not get in....there is something wrong and you need to sit down with the NCAA committee and get it done or play soccer only in another conference.

Reading some of the posts here, first, Donigan will be back. It is a non-issue, end of discussion. He is as likely to return to SLU as Kevin Lisch is in hoops next season. It is a non-topic. Done finsished, the end. If SLU doesn't make the NCAA this year and next year, I will entertain discussion and he will get one more after that. Donigan has earned the right to return, and will, answers both questions. The inability to have effective interior passing and possession, and attractive attacking soccer, has caught my attention for sure.

The team...it just isn't a great team talent-wise. Let's repeat that. A few elite players can change a team. SLU needs a stud elite central midfielder, and someone who flat out scores goals in any way shape or form. You can work with role players in other areas. I know people get caught up in some things...but SLU is a top 40 team, not a top ten team...and frankly, not a top 20 team....somewhere between 20-40.

As for the former coach, it was Joey Clarke, and what happened to him was a case of the old guard not up with the times. Clarke didn't even have a full time assistant coach. SLU admin and ath dept were slow to recognize that the rest of the nation has caught up in soccer. Freakin New Mexico, for example is a soccer power. NEW MEXICO...say it out loud. And a top local player has sen this and is going there next year....and a lot of their kids are local and regional there...there are many other examples... He never had the resources that Warming or Donigan had.

SLU needed to beat ND, lost in 2 ot. and one or two more solid ones...early to get an early ranking. They didn't.

Conf tourneys can be crap shoots....the amazingly good ACC was decided today when the 5th seed and 6th seeds played...yes 5th and 6th seeds, Duke beat Carolina 5-4 on pk's. Neither was a top 4 seed.

SLU is bubble bound. I think they should and will squeak in. Will they? ...nothing the NCAA does surprises me anymore in soccer.

[SLURadioBoy]

That was a great post Courtside. I also think Donigan deserves to be back. I was just wondering what people thought his future at SLU entailed.

"Praises we sing, to you our alma mater,

Praise to the white and blue.

Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you,

We hail Saint Louis U."

Official Billikens.com sponsor of Andrew Latimer

[aj_arete]

But I vaguely remember people here complaining about SLU being in the A-10 because it was such a weak conference. There was sentiment that SLU would have to win the postseason tourney to get in year after year. Given their subpar nonconference showing, I don't see SLU getting in or deserving to get in.

Whatever it is worth, College Soccer News states that Duquense and SLU are bubble teams with only one of them advancing. If that is the case, I can't see Duquense getting in over SLU since they lost to them head-to-head and didn't advance to the tourney final game.

I just don't think SLU needed one more quality win other than SMU, but we'll see tomorrow.

[gister]

Other notes:

SLU beat Rhode Island earlier in the year.

SLU has won or tied for the regular season conference title or won the conference tournament 9 out of the last 11 years. Not a bad record. The only years they missed were 1996 and 2004.

[Sheltiedave]

Donigan has ALL the advantages that Brad doesn't, namely...

*SLU is the preeminent soccer program in the country, historically.

*SLU has one of the top four facilities in the country.

*SLU has a huge alumni club that $upport$ soccer at the highest level.

*Attendance is in the top four.

*The local talent base is in the top ten in the country.

All of the above should minimize our talent losses, and we should not be talking about being a bubble team come selection time. Donigan can flat out coach, but he is a marginal recruiter. We need a Warming-level recruiter to do the sales job, and Donigan to coach the team. I don't buy giving him a third year of not making the NCAA at the end of the season, let alone a fourth.

[slufanskip]

To say DD is a marginal recruiter is outrageous. He recruited the kids they left. Why they all left, that may be a different story. This team was also hit hard with injuries all year to add to to Nat'l team players leaving. Their #1 keeper has been hurt all year and a GK error cost them the final yesterday. Sackman is ok and I appreciate the fact he came back to help the team, but he is an average keep and rarely makes the big stop. Brian Grazier ... a former U17 Nat'l team player and the guy on defense that oontrols the pace of the game ... he hasn't played all year. Ryan Wileman ... was hurt early and never got in game shape. We had 4 top notch starters that did not play this year and another that played half the year at half speed. If we make it to the tourney it should be a testament to DD's coaching with the level of talent we put on the field.

We will be back ... we may or may not win a title, but we will be challenging for it.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

[SLUBALLS]

Last thing: after watvching the games on Friday and Sunday, all I can say is I hope to G-d that the field is in better shape to handle the three games of the College Cup next year. The field is a complete mess right now.

Courtside, your analysis is pretty dead-on. But regarding the NCAA selection committee, remember this is the same committee that gave SLU a 6 seed a few years ago when SLU had been in the 1-3 in national rankings all year. We ended up having to go to Stanford to play and lost on an errant goal kick on a lousy field. Any idea what our SOS was this year compared to Duquesne?