The St. Louis U. High soccer team secured its first win of the season this past Saturday. Normally, a first win coming in early October would hardly seem cause for celebration. However, in a unique season defined by delays and setbacks, the team was excited to just be on the field.
                “It meant a lot to be back on the field after many weeks of training and drilling,” said junior defender Benjamin Ridgway. “Just to be where we are today is great.”
    Until a little over a week ago, players from SLUH soccer were unsure if they were going to have a season. Then, as news came that St. Louis City was lifting restrictions on high school sports, the varsity team made the quick transition from practicing to playing. On the last night of tryouts, 25 players were named to the varsity squad. Their celebration was short-lived, as they were forced to prepare for their first game against Mehlville, which was just two days away.
“It is weird not having a full week to prepare for each game, but I enjoy having a game every two to three days,” said sophomore Lucas Hammond. “I think the lack of preparation affects our chemistry and communication on the field. However, most of the players have been to optional training during the summer, so their touch and passing are good. Also, the practices in the summer gave us time to get to know each other.”
Making the speedy transition from training for fitness, shifting to tryouts, and then preparing for gameplay caused the Jr. Bills to cram what would be a month of prep to just two days preceding their first game. 
    “Having a delayed season definitely has had an impact on us,” said senior Adam Wolfe. “We haven't been able to play or even scrimmage until recently.”
               Their first game of the season against the Melville Panthers was a matchup that the SLUH soccer team had won the previous year, 1-0. However, only three of the current 11 starters—midfielder Adam Wolfe, winger Evan Yalavarthi, and defender Tilhan Murphy—were in the starting lineup a year ago. 
    Still shaking off expected early-season rust, SLUH struggled to string together many scoring chances  in the first half, and did not identify the weakness of Melville's defense till halftime. SLUH and Mehlivlle struggled to maintain possessions in one another’s opposing half with errant passes. 
              “In the first half, we quickly realized that the gap between the center backs was where we needed to attack,” said junior winger Tyler Van Bree. “We struggled moving it quickly to the middle of the field and finding the right runs in between the defense.”
The first half of true competition of the 2020 season came to a close, and neither team had graced the scoreboard. 
    Starting the second half on the attack, the Jr. Bills maintained possession and relentlessly pressured Mehlville, something they had been unable to do in the first half. 
In the 47th minute of the match, frustrations at the congested play style that had dominated the game showed, as a Melville defender shoved Wolfe, earning him a yellow card. Since the yellow card rewarded the Jr. Bills a free kick, the team took advantage of its opportunity and got down the field quickly. Seconds after the free kick, the ball arrived at the feet of right winger Michael Heinlein, who took off down the side of the field, entered the penalty area, and slipped the ball through a small gap between the Mehlville keeper and the near post 14 minutes into the second half.
                “At halftime, we knew once we got the first goal more would follow,” said Van Bree. “When Heinlein scored, that was the tipping point and we followed it up with two more quick goals.”
Twelve minutes after Heinlein’s goal, SLUH kept its foot on the gas, and took a 2-0 lead with 26 minutes left in the second half. Freshman Grant Locker netted the second goal for SLUH, and his first on the varsity team. 
After a Mehlville deflection out of bounds, senior defender Will Coovert rushed to throw the ball in. Tossing a long throw to just above the six-yard box, Coovert found senior forward Jack Rudder, who was shielding a defender from behind. Rudder, seeing an opportunity and an opening, flicked the ball over his head to the edge of the six-yard box where Locker, with his back turned to the opponent’s goal, delicately chipped it over a defender and the keeper’s head for a Jr. Billiken goal. 
“It felt great scoring my first goal for SLUH and as a freshman playing on varsity there are obviously a lot of nerves that come with it,” said Locker. “I think my goal helped our team by making us feel a little more relaxed, and going up 2-0 allowed us to calm down and take control of the game.”
Three more minutes passed, and SLUH finally appeared to have reached the groove they had been unable to establish in the first half. Junior Stephen Saladin gained possession of the ball off a shot deflection at the top of the box. Saladin, with masterful footwork, weaved his way through two Mehlville defenders, and finished with a strike from his right foot to the far post. 
With around 23 minutes remaining in the game, SLUH’s defense, led by senior Tilahun Murphy and goalkeeper Johnny Barr, protected their lead, letting in a lone goal with a little over 22 minutes left. 
The final score of the game was 3-1, and a major victory for a Jr. Bills team that had decided its final roster just two days before their first outing.
    “We came out with a lot of energy and controlled the ball most of the game,” said Wolfe. “At times, excitement from being able to play got the better of us, causing a little sloppiness.”
    The team improved to 2-0 against Saint Mary’s on Tuesday. SLUH defeated the Dragons 3-0, led by two goals from Saladin and senior Jack Rudder.
Tonight, the team looks for its third win of the season, playing the Vianney Griffins at 7:30 p.m.
                “These upcoming weeks mean a lot, mainly because we have fewer games this season,” said Ridgway. “Every game we play in counts and we need to make the most of our limited opportunities.”
    

photo | Mrs. Kathleen Chott