Sept. 10, 2008

What's on Tap: A pair of ranked teams will collide at Robert R. Hermann Stadium Saturday when the ninth-ranked Saint Louis men's soccer team entertains No. 4 Connecticut. The game, widely considered one of the marquee matchups of the weekend in NCAA soccer, kicks off at 7 p.m.

Following the Action: All Billiken home games this season will be video 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 Dan Donigan Show at no charge. GameTracker is again available free of charge in 2008.

For Tickets: Tickets for all men's soccer home games at Robert R. Hermann Stadium may be purchased at the ticket gate, by phone at (314) 977-4SLU or online at www.slubillikens.com. Prices for single-game tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youth. Groups of 20 or more receive discounted tickets for $3 apiece. Students with a valid SLU ID card receive free admission. The Billikens play their next five games at Hermann Stadium, including four Saturday night tilts.

About the Billikens: Saint Louis is 2-0-2 after playing its first four games of the season away from Hermann Stadium. The Billikens began the year at the LMU Fall Classic in Los Angeles and came away with a pair of ties against San Diego and Loyola Marymount. Last weekend, SLU out-scored its opponents 8-1 and picked up its first wins of the season against UC Riverside and Portland. Kyle Patterson enjoyed an eight-point performance (3G, 2A), and for his effort landed on each of the National Teams of the Week.

All-Tournament Team: Kyle Patterson was named co-MVP of Creighton's Diadora Challenge. James Jaramillo earned All-Tournament Team distinction after scoring an insurance goal against UC Riverside and opening the scoring against Portland. Also, Rob Viviano and Tim Ream were named to an All-Tournament team for the second straight week after their strong play in the Billiken backfield.

Patterson Honored: Thanks to his eight-point (3G, 2A) effort last weekend, Kyle Patterson landed on all major National Teams of the Week in addition to being named National Player of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer.com. He appeared on CollegeSoccerNews.com's National Team of the Week and was recognized by Soccer America as a selection on its Men's Team of the Week.

Reiter Claims First Weekly Award: Saint Louis freshman Jonas Reiter earned co-Rookie of the Week honors from the Atlantic 10 Conference for his play up top in SLU's two wins last weekend. He notched the first goals of his career in the Portland match when he netted back-to-back tallies in less than two minutes late in the match. The A-10 preseason All-Rookie team selection is tied for first among freshmen in the A-10 in goals with two.

Leading the Pack: Kyle Patterson leads the Billikens and the Atlantic 10 with 10 points (4G, 2A). That scoring output also ranks him among the top 20 nationally.

 

Tim Ream

Bills Strong on Defensive End: Saint Louis complements a solid back line with a strong keeper in Pat Disbennett. The Billikens have yielded four goals in four games this season, and Disbennett sports a 0.93 GAA to rank third in the conference. Juniors Tim Ream and Rob Viviano have been mainstays on the back line, having played every minute of every match this season. For their efforts, both were named to the LMU Fall Classic and Diadora Challenge All-Tournament teams.

Transfer Contributes Immediately: Junior midfielder James Jaramillo has made significant contributions to the Billikens in his first season after transferring from UCLA. He is tied for second on the team with five points (2G, 1A) and is a key part of SLU's defensive effort from his central midfield position.

Streaking: Saint Louis is unbeaten through its first four matches for the first time since the 2003 squad went seven straight matches without a loss. Dating back to last season, the Billikens are unbeaten in their last 12. That is the longest unbeaten streak since the 1991 squad went unbeaten in 16 straight.

Help Me, Help You: Brandon Barklage leads the club with three assists, which is just two shy of his team-best five assists from a season ago. Kyle Hayes, Rob Viviano and Scott Wisniewski have also tallied assists this season, giving the Billikens eight players who have at least one point.

Hellesen Leaves Program: Defender Brent Hellesen has withdrawn from Saint Louis University. Hellesen netted the equalizing goal in SLU's 1-1 tie against San Diego earlier this year.

Hermann Trophy Candidates: Saturday's game against Connecticut features six players who are on the preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Saint Louis has three players on the 2008 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List. Senior midfielder Eric Sweetin was named to the Watch List for the second straight season, while seniors Calum Angus and Kyle Patterson appeared for the first time. UConn features last year's winner O'Brian White, Akeem Priestley and Toni Stahl. In November, the 48-member Watch List will be narrowed to 15 semifinalists, with three finalists to be announced in early December. The award, presented to the nation's top collegiate soccer player, will be announced at the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis on Jan. 9, 2008.

Preseason Nods: In addition to being named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, Calum Angus and Kyle Patterson picked up several other preseason accolades. Angus was named a Soccer America and CollegeSoccerNews.com preseason first-team All-America selection, while Patterson was named to the second team. The duo were also named preseason All-Conference selections by Atlantic 10 coaches, as was senior forward Dado Hamzagic. In addition, freshmen Jonas Reiter and Keegan Smith were named to the league's All-Rookie team and were listed as two of the "100 Freshmen To Keep An Eye On in 2008."

Scouting Connecticut: The Huskies (2-0-2) entered the season trailing only Wake Forest in the majority of national polls, but a pair of ties against Tulsa and Boston University have dipped them to No. 5 in Soccer America's poll. Nevertheless, Connecticut is still considered a legitimate national contender thanks in part to returning National Player of the Year O'Brian White. Last season, White earned the MAC Hermann Trophy after notching a nation-leading 53 points (23G, 7A). This year, he has found the back of the net twice. Akeem Priestley, a preseason Hermann Trophy candidate in his own right, also has two goals for the Huskies. Complementing a dangerous attack is an equally formidable defense. The Huskies have yielded only one goal in four games this season, and goalie Josh Ford is coming off his second straight shutout against Boston U., which earned him Big East Goalkeeper of the Week accolades. Huskies head coach Ray Reid leads all active NCAA Division I head coaches with a .780 career winning percentage. In his 19 seasons as a collegiate head coach, he has accumulated a 312-76-33 record.

Kyle Hayes

The UConn/SLU Series: Saint Louis leads the all-time series 5-3-0. The series resumed in 2006 after a 21-year hiatus with the Billikens staking a 5-1 victory on a neutral field in Indiana's tournament. The Huskies came away with a 2-0 victory in 1980, the last time they visited St. Louis.

Donigan is a Husky Great: SLU head coach Dan Donigan enjoyed a stellar career at the University of Connecticut from 1985 to 1988. A three-time All-American, Donigan ranks fifth on UConn's all-time scoring list with 110 points (35G, 40A). He was the recipient of the 1988 Adi Dassler Award, emblematic of the nation's top player according to adidas, and was named the Big East Player of the Decade for the 1980s.

Polling Place: The Billikens appear in every major collegiate men's soccer poll. They come in at No. 9 in the Soccer America and CollegeSoccerNews.com polls. Soccer Times has the Billikens 13th overall. The NSCAA coaches' poll ranks the Billikens 17th overall and first in the Middle-Atlantic region. Connecticut ranges from fourth (Soccer Times and Soccer America) to seventh (NSCAA) in national polls.

Dan's Day: SLU head coach Dan Donigan, the 2007 NSCAA Middle-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and reigning back-to-back A-10 Coach of the Year, is 93-30-20 (.720) in eight seasons at the helm. He ranks in the top five in winning percentage among active Division I head coaches with at least five years of experience. Donigan has led the Billikens to the NCAA Tournament in five of his seven campaigns. In the last three seasons combined, Donigan's Billikens have posted a 27-7-9 (.733) overall mark and a 16-1-1 (.917) ledger in A-10 regular-season games.

 

Dan Donigan

NCAA History: The Billikens have qualified for the NCAA Tournament a record 44 times in the 49-year history of the event and have won a record 10 national championships. Saint Louis has a 65-32-5 (.662) record in NCAA Tournament action.

Robert R. Hermann Stadium: The Billikens are tough to beat on Robert R. Hermann Stadium's state-of-the-art natural grass surface. SLU is 71-15-11 (.789) in eight seasons at Hermann Stadium, including 6-1-2 last season. In those eight seasons, the Billikens are 6-2-2 on their home pitch in NCAA Tournament action.

Great Fans: The Billikens attracted an average of 2,116 fans for 10 home dates at Hermann Stadium last season, which ranked ninth in the nation. Last season, the Billikens drew 5,758 fans for Homecoming against Central Florida, the second-largest crowd in Robert R. Hermann Stadium history. The Billikens led the nation in average attendance in 2003, 2001 and 1999 and have ranked in the top 10 since 1999.

On the Sidelines: Once again, the Billikens boast a full complement of assistant coaches in 2008. Matt Tutton enters his second season as an assistant, while Dave Beck is in his third year with the Billikens. Martin Hutton is in his second season as a graduate assistant in charge of goalkeepers. In addition, U.S. National Team assistant coach Mike Sorber will again serve as a volunteer assistant coach.

Ream's Rundown: Junior defender Tim Ream will keep a blog this season, a feature available only on www.slubillikens.com. It will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the men's soccer squad and will be updated periodically throughout the year.

Saint Louis Billikens Men's Soccer