(Courtesy Saint Louis Athletics)
What’s on Tap: Saint Louis looks to get back into the win column Tuesday when it hosts nationally ranked Louisville at Hermann Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Following the Action: Live stats and live video are available free of charge for Tuesday’s game. The links are located on the home page of Saint Louis’ official athletics website, www.SLUBillikens.com.
About the Billikens: Saint Louis enters tonight’s match 2-1-0 overall. The Billikens picked up wins at Hermann Stadium against Tulsa (1-0) and Virginia Tech (3-1) to open the season but dropped a 4-0 decision at Memphis in their last outing Sept. 6. Senior Robert Kristo leads the team with two goals. Senior William Hidalgo and junior Filip Pavisic have also scored for SLU. Junior David Graydon (2), sophomore Max Karcher and seniors Raymond Lee and Anthony Manning have recorded assists. Freshman Sascha Otte has played every minute in goal and has made nine saves.
About the Cardinals: Louisville, which was ranked No. 2 in the country last week, is coming off a scoreless draw against Cornell on Sept. 5. The Cardinals opened their season with a 1-0 victory against Maryland. Sophomore Andrew Brody scored the game-winning goal in the 54th minute off assists by junior Ricardo Velazco and senior Will Vitalis. Senior Joachim Ball has played every minute between the posts and has yet to allow a goal, making seven saves. Louisville is coached by Ken Lolla, who is in his ninth year with a 100-47-24 record.
Last Year: Saint Louis went 14-5-2 overall and 6-0-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference a season ago. The Billikens captured the A-10 regular-season title and advanced to the A-10 Championship final. Louisville finished 11-5-4 overall and first in the American Athletic Conference with a 5-1-2 mark. The Cardinals lost 1-0 in double overtime to Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Championship.
Checking the Record Book: Senior Robert Kristo is two points away from reaching John DiRaimondo (2003-06) and Don Range (1959-60) for 20th on the Billikens’ all-time scoring list. He enters tonight’s game with 70 points (29G, 12A).
Otte Recognized: SLU freshman goalkeeper Sascha Otte was named the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s soccer Rookie of the Week on Monday. Otte made one save in the shutout victory against Tulsa and made six stops in the win against Virginia Tech.
Billikens Picked to Win A-10: SLU is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s soccer title according to balloting by the league’s head coaches. Earning preseason All-Conference plaudits were senior forward Kingsley Bryce, junior midfielder David Graydon, senior forward Robert Kristo and senior defender Anthony Manning. Named to the A-10’s preseason All-Rookie team were defender Andre Rivers-Hardware and midfielder/defender Patrick Sarr.
Hermann Trophy Watch List: Saint Louis senior forward Robert Kristo and senior defender Anthony Manning have been named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List for the second straight season. Kristo was a semifinalist for the award in 2012. Last year, Kristo led the Billikens in scoring with 25 points (10G, 5A). Manning was tabbed the Atlantic 10 Conference Defender of the Year.
Bryce Has Class: Saint Louis senior forward Kingsley Bryce is one of 30 NCAA Division I men’s soccer players selected as a candidate for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award for collegiate soccer. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. To read more about Bryce and the Senior CLASS Award, click here.
Coaching Staff: Mike McGinty, the A-10 Coach of the Year the last two seasons, is in his fifth season as the Billikens’ head coach. He was hired in March 2010 after an 11-year stint at the University of Virginia, where he served as associate head coach for the 2009 NCAA national champion Cavaliers. McGinty’s four-year career coaching record is 47-27-6. He is aided by assistant coaches Brian Grazier (first year) and Blake Schneider (second year), goalkeeper coach Tim Kelly and senior student manager Mark Pais.
Up Next: SLU, which is in the midst of a three-game homestand, hosts Evansville this Saturday, Sept. 13. Game time at Hermann Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.
