MEET THE TEAM | SCHEDULE/RESULTS | NEWS | ALMANAC

Aug. 19, 2008

Read the 2008 Season Preview

THIS WEEK: Saint Louis women's soccer opens the 2008 season on Friday, Aug. 22, as the Billikens travel to Cape Girardeau to take on in-state rival Southeast Missouri State. Game time at Houck Stadium is 7 p.m.

FOLLOWING THE ACTION: No live stats or Web streaming will be available for Friday's game at SEMO. However, all Billiken home games this season will be streamed live on the Internet via Billiken All-Access at www.slubillikens.com. Subscriptions are available for $79.95 annually or $9.95 a month. In addition to the games, fans can view player interviews, highlights and the Tim Champion Show for no charge. GameTracker will again be available free of charge in 2008.

THE BILLIKEN LODOWN: Senior back Lauren Olson will keep an online journal this season, a feature available only on www.slubillikens.com. The journal will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the women's soccer squad and will be updated periodically throughout the year.

TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for all women's soccer home games at Robert R. Hermann Stadium may be purchased at the gate, by phone at (314) 977-4SLU or online at www.slubillikens.com. Prices for single-game tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth. Groups of 20 or more receive discounted tickets for $3 apiece. Students with a valid SLU ID card receive free admission.

BILLS OUT OF THE GATE EARLY: Friday's game at SEMO is the earliest season opener in Billiken women's soccer history. Previously, the earliest opener was Aug. 25, on two occasions. The Bills blanked Drury 6-0 on Aug. 25, 2000, and fell 3-1 at Duke on Aug. 25, 2006.

BILLIKENS SEEK TO REVERSE TREND: After winning its first eight season openers and earning a tie in its ninth, Saint Louis has dropped three consecutive season debuts. The Bills were edged 1-0 at Penn in last season's opener.

THE RETURNING CAST: Among their 26 returning players, the Billikens feature six who started at least half the team's 18 games a year ago. Heading the list is junior forward Julia Bradenberg, who last year earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference second team for a second consecutive season. Other returning starters are senior back Lauren Olson, junior midfielder Susan Frederickson, junior midfielder/forward Kelly Waeckerle, junior goalkeeper Hannah Koesterer and junior midfielder Lauren Bozesky.

PRESEASON HONORS: Junior forward Julia Bradenberg was named to the A-10 preseason All-Conference team, while freshman back Andrea Barklage (Lake St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word) earned a spot on the league's All-Rookie team. The Billikens were picked by A-10 head coaches to finish third in the conference. Defending champion Charlotte is the preseason favorite, followed by Dayton.

SEEING DOUBLE: Saint Louis finished the 2007 campaign with a 10-6-2 record, giving the Bills a double-digit victory total for the 10th time in the 12-year history of the program. Included in that record was a 7-2-2 mark in Atlantic 10 Conference play. The Billikens dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to Dayton in the A-10 Championship first round.

SCOUTING SEMO: The Redhawks, who are favored to win the Ohio Valley Conference, welcome back four starters and eight additional letterwinners from last year's team that posted a 12-2-4 overall record (8-0-1 OVC). SEMO won its first OVC regular-season championship since 2002, then captured the OVC tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. The Redhawks lost to Missouri in a penalty-kick shootout in the NCAA opening round. Sophomore forward Ashley Runion led the 2007 Redhawks with 11 goals and 27 points en route to garnering OVC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-OVC plaudits. Sophomore midfielder Vanessa Hart joined Runion on the OVC All-Conference second team and All-Newcomer squad and was selected to the Soccer Buzz Central Region All-Freshman team. SEMO, which also will be playing its season opener, outscored Indiana State, Arkansas State and Missouri-St. Louis by a combined 12-2 in exhibition action. Head coach Heather Nelson is 100-48-17 in nine seasons at SEMO and 131-97-22 in 12 seasons overall.

THE SEMO SERIES: The Billikens lead the Redhawks 3-0-0. The series began in 2005 with a 1-0 SLU victory in Cape Girardeau. The Bills followed with two wins at home, a 2-1 triumph in 2006 and a 3-1 victory last season.

HEAD COACH Tim Champion: The only head coach in Saint Louis women's soccer history, Tim Champion begins his 13th season at the helm with a SLU record of 148-73-22 (.654) and a 15-year career mark of 208-87-25 (.689). Champion has led his teams to three conference regular-season championships and two conference tournament titles. He became the first head coach to guide a SLU women's program to the NCAA Tournament when his 2005 Billikens made the first of two consecutive NCAA appearances. Champion's .689 win percentage and 208 victories rank 19th and 27th, respectively, all time among coaches with at least 10 seasons as an NCAA Division I head coach. The win percentage is 21st in the nation and the victory total is 24th among active coaches with at least five years as a Division I head coach. Joining Champion on the sideline are assistant coach Kelly Ferguson, volunteer assistant Rob LaMear and graduate assistant Sarah Schweitzer.

HERMANN STADIUM: Billiken women's soccer has been tough to beat on Robert R. Hermann Stadium's state-of-the-art natural grass. Since the facility re-opened in 1999, the Bills have posted a 69-17-3 (.792) record at home, including a 39-6-2 (.851) mark in league play. SLU was undefeated at home in the 2006 regular season, yielding just one tie to nationally ranked Marquette, before falling to Illinois in the NCAA Tournament second round. Last season yielded a 7-1 Saint Louis ledger on the home pitch. The Bills played 18 straight games without a home loss beginning Sept. 16, 2005, and running through an NCAA Tournament first-round win over Drake on Nov. 10, 2006.

SLU TO HOST 2008 A-10 CHAMPIONSHIP: Robert R. Hermann Stadium will be the site of the 2008 Atlantic 10 Women's Soccer Championship. The top six teams in the final A-10 regular-season standings will gather in St. Louis to compete for the league's tournament championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. First-round action is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, followed by the semifinals Nov. 7 and the title game Nov. 9.

ASCENDING THE CAREER CHARTS: Junior goalkeeper Hannah Koesterer begins the season in third place on the SLU all-time victories list with 20. Koesterer also is third in career goals-against average (1.18), tied for third in career shutouts (10) and fourth in career saves (103) and career minutes (2,893). On the Bills' career game-winning goals chart, junior forward Julia Bradenberg is tied for seventh with six game-winners, while junior midfielder/forward Kelly Waeckerle is tied for 10th with five.

GOING ALL OUT: Senior back Katie Allgaier (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) played in three games last season.

BO ON THE GO: Junior midfielder Lauren Bozesky (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline) played in 17 games and started 11 last season ... scored two goals and added one assist for five points ... tied for fourth on the team in goals ... recorded 20 shots including 10 shots on goal.

THE BRADENBERG CONCERTO: Junior forward Julia Bradenberg (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline) started all 15 games in which she played in 2007 ... tallied three goals and three assists for nine points ... led the team in assists and was third in goals, points, shots (33) and shots on goal (17) ... named to the All-Conference second team ... earned a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer.com College Team of the Week and the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week for the period ending Oct. 28.

ALL THAT BRAZZ: Sophomore midfielder Ashley Brazill (St. Charles, Mo./Incarnate Word) played in all 18 games and started twice last season ... her 11 shots included six shots on goal.

KATY DID: Junior midfielder Katy Brooks (Kansas City, Mo./Blue Valley West) saw action in one game in 2007.

BROWNIE POINTS: Sophomore midfielder/back Christina Brown (St. Charles, Mo./Duchesne) played in all 18 games and started eight a year ago ... recorded one assist, eight shots and four shots on goal ... will miss the 2008 campaign due to injury.

READY FREDDY: Junior midfielder Susan Frederickson (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's) was one of only three Billikens to start every game last year ... named the Bills' Newcomer of the Year ... 10 of her 21 shots were on goal.

GAWIN'S A GOOD ONE: Sophomore back/midfielder Kristyn Gawin (Madison, Wis./Middleton) started five of the 14 games in which she appeared last season ... two of her three shots were on goal.

YOU GOTTA HAVE HART: Senior midfielder/back Molly Hartmann (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) played in 13 games and started four in 2007... made her only goal count, as it was the game-winner against Rhode Island.

IT PAYS TO HAVE HAYES: Junior midfielder Ashley Hayes (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word) played in 12 games with three starts a season ago ... registered one goal, 10 shots and five shots on goal.

HEM GEM: Senior back Kim Hemmig (Parker, Texas/Bishop Lynch) played in two games last year.

HANNAH BANANA: Junior goalkeeper Hannah Koesterer (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas) started all 13 games in which she appeared last season ... logged 1,169+ minutes and posted a 7-4-1 record, a 1.15 goals against average, four shutouts and 54 saves.

KRYZER IS WISER: Sophomore back/midfielder Emily Kryzer (Wichita, Kan./Kapaun Mount Carmel) did not appear in a game in 2007.

MAN OH MAN: Junior back/midfielder Katie Mansell (Milwaukee, Wis./Whitefish Bay) played in four games in 2007.

SAY IT AIN'T SO, LO: Senior back Lauren Olson (Plano, Texas/Ursuline) was one of only three Billikens to start all 18 games last season ... chipped in one assist, five shots and two shots on goal ... named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 7 first team and to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference squad ... earned the Bills' 110 Percent Award.

THEY'LL CLAP FOR SAP: Junior midfielder Kristen Sapienza (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's) played in eight games in 2007 ... had the game-winning goal against George Washington, three shots and two shots on goal.

SAL IS THE GAL: Junior back Sally Sinclair (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu) appeared in 12 games and logged four starts last year ... fired one shot.

JAC HAS THE KNACK: Junior back Jacqui Smith (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's) started six of the seven games in which she played last season ... recorded one shot.

OUR SOLE AND INSPIRATION: Senior midfielder/back Allison Sole (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/George Washington) played in six games with one start in 2007 ... posted one shot on goal.

STEIN PLAYS FINE: Sophomore back Christine Steinmetz (Palatine, Ill./St. Viator) did not appear in a game in 2007.

THE TURK WILL LURK: Sophomore goalkeeper Dominique Turk (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) played in seven games and started five a year ago ... logged 540+ minutes and registered a 3-2-1 record, a 0.83 goals against average, three shutouts and 11 saves.

MAKING THE SCENE WITH VAN ALSTYNE: Sophomore forward/midfielder Anna Van Alstyne (Sauk City, Wis./Sauk Prairie) did not appear in a game in 2007.

THE WAECK ATTACK: Junior midfielder/forward Kelly Waeckerle (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West) played in all 18 games and started 16 last season ... put up two goals (both game-winners) and two assists for six points ... tied for second on the team in assists, fourth in points, shots (31) and shots on goal (15), and tied for fourth in goals ... played 70 minutes in a starting role and collected two shots, including one on goal, against Dayton.

THAT'LL WERK: Sophomore forward Caitlin Werkmeister (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu) saw action in nine games ... registered two shots.

GLOSSY YOSSI: Junior back Megan Yossi (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) did not appear in a game in 2007.

BOOK `EM, DANO: Junior goalkeeper Amber Zdanovec (Appleton, Wis./Appleton East) did not appear in a game in 2007.

Saint Louis Billikens Women's Soccer

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