Bills Lose Heartbreaker to Dayton in A-10 Tournament
Nov. 8, 2007
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Saint Louis' bid for a third successive conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance was halted Thursday night, as Dayton defeated the Billikens 2-1 in overtime in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Soccer Championship. Caitlin Proffitt's third goal of the season won it for fifth-seeded Dayton (13-4-3) just 1:57 into the extra period. The shot, just the fifth on goal for the Flyers, came from 20 yards out and propelled Dayton into Friday's semifinals against No. 2 seed Fordham. Saint Louis (10-6-2), the No. 4 seed, was the more active team in the first half. The Billikens' 8-4 advantage in shots included a 7-1 count in shots on goal, and SLU earned five corner kicks to Dayton's two. Unfortunately, those statistical advantages translated into just one goal for the Bills. Senior forward Cassi Winchell (St. Louis, Mo./Howell Central) drilled a shot from 20 yards away past Dayton goalkeeper Niki Reed at the 28:37 mark to make it a 1-1 game. Sophomore forward Julia Bradenberg (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline) picked up her team-leading third assist on the play. Winchell's goal was her team-best sixth tally of the season and the 29th of her career, moving her past Trisha Underberg into sole possession of second place on the Billikens' all-time list. Dayton took a 1-0 lead 15:59 into the contest on Courtney Sirmans' first goal of the season. The marker was unassisted and followed a corner kick. Both teams narrowly missed winning in regulation. Freshman forward Alyssa Mautz (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) rocketed a shot that hit the post at the 78:27 mark. Less than four minutes later, a shot by Dayton's Tori Oelschlager met the same fate.
Saint Louis earned the upper hand in total shots (17-13), shots on goal (11-5) and corners (8-7). Winchell and sophomore midfielder Susan Frederickson (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's) tallied four shots apiece. With their 10 victories this season, the Billikens registered double-digits for the 10th time in the 12-year history of the program. |
|
