DAYTON – The University of Dayton women's soccer team will open Atlantic 10 Conference play this week, as they travel to St. Louis, Mo to take on the Saint Louis Billikens on Sunday. The Flyers finished non-conference play with a 3-3-2 record, with wins over Akron, Kent State, and Northern Kentucky. The Flyers and Billikens have met 22 times prior to Sunday's match-up, including four times in the spring season. The Billikens won all four meetings last season, with the Flyers last beating Saint Louis in 2016.
 
FLYER FACTS
The Flyers enter Atlantic 10 play Sunday after being picked to finish second in the conference by the coaches in the preseason on Aug. 12^th. After an incredibly challenging non-conference slate of quality teams, the Flyers sit with the fourth-best record in the A-10, behind VCU, UMass, and Davidson. Dayton scored the most goals among A-10 teams in non-conference play, tied with Fordham with 11 scored in eight matches. Eight goals against on the season also ranks the Flyers close to the top of the league at fourth overall.
 
Flyer junior Marlee Taylor leads all Atlantic 10 players with 36 shots in eight matches, 13 more than the next closest at 23. Her league-leading 18 shots on goal have netted her four goals early on, ranking her second in the conference in that category. She also ranks tied for first in the conference with two game-winning goals.
 
SCOUTING SAINT LOUIS
The Billikens enter Sunday's match with a 2-5-1 overall record, having played a grueling non-conference slate prior to opening A-10 play. After being picked to finish first in the A-10 in the preseason poll, the Billikens began the season on an 0-3 skid with losses to Xavier, Iowa, and Kansas. Saint Louis got their first goal of the season in their fourth match, as they got their first shutout of the season on Aug. 29^th at Illinois State by a 2-0 score.
 
Freshman Emily Gaebe leads all Billikens scorers with three goals on the season, converting on three of her nine shots on goal. Goalkeeper Emily Puricelli has started all eight matches for Saint Louis, allowing just seven goals in 86 shots faced, with an .806 save percentage.
 
UP NEXT
Following Sunday's match in Saint Louis, the Flyers will return home to continue the A-10 schedule, as they will host LaSalle and Davidson next Thursday and Sunday.