The Saint Louis University men’s soccer team defeated the University of Dayton on Sunday, Nov. 16, in a nailbiter to clinch the Atlantic 10 championship. On a crisp autumn afternoon at Hermann Stadium, the match was ultimately decided in overtime on penalty kicks by a score of 5-4.
The Billikens did not get off to the start they hoped for. Dayton came out of the gate with energy and discipline. The Flyers kept the ball in the SLU zone constantly within the first 45 minutes, recording five corner kicks in the first 10 minutes. Junior midfielder Miles Bonham scored on a redirection goal in the 34th minute of the contest. Saint Louis looked rather sluggish and uninspired, leaving SLU’s Head Coach Kevin Kalish to reportedly address his team at halftime.
“We made some good adjustments at halftime,” Kalish said. “And most importantly, our energy and mentality just became more resolute in terms of how we were going after the game. I thought we were timid in the first half, and you’re not going to win many championships being timid.”
Kalish also reportedly asked his team, “Who are you guys?” – which seemed to fire up his troops entering the second half of play.
In the second half, the Billikens came out firing on all cylinders. Despite not recording a shot in the first 45 minutes, they recorded eight shots while also maintaining offensive pressure with five corner kicks. Freshman forward Theo Franca finally found the back of the net in the 82nd minute on a second-chance shot when he received a volley pass from forward Andrew Heckenlaible. The goal was initially ruled offside by the referee and linesman, but was later confirmed by replay review.
“Maybe I should have put that [first] one away but I knew that Andrew [Heckenlaible] on the left wing was going to put it back in the box, so I was lucky to be in the right spot at the right time and finish it off,” Franca said. “Those are the moments where you’re supposed to keep your head up and say, ‘I’m going to get another one. I’m going to get another one.’ And thankfully, I got lucky enough to have another one right after it.”
At the end of regulation, the game headed into overtime. However, neither team was able to break through in the two ten-minute overtimes. The near 3,500 spectators in the Saint Louis crowd grew tense and rigid with nerves as neither team seemed willing to overcommit with the championship on the line.
In penalty kicks, stud goalkeeper Jérémi Abonnel saved the first Dayton shot, which set the tone for the rest of the shootout. The Billikens proceeded to convert on all five chances, with goals from Quinten Blair, Jack DiMaria, JC Cortez, Abonnel himself and Tanner Anderson. Teammates and staff mobbed Anderson, who scored the clincher on a goal that went right as Dayton goalkeeper Gavin Krenecki guessed left.
“This is the closest I have seen a team come together since I began my freshman year, and I think it is super evident in the play style and confidence our team has on the field,” senior and fourth-year student manager Matt Windler said. “Winning the A-10 is a testament to the work the guys put in each and every day, and there is no one that deserves that achievement more than them.”
The come-from-behind win marked the men’s fifth A-10 championship overall in school history, following their most recent win in 2023. The win earns an automatic bid to the 68-team NCAA D1 Championship tournament. Although a regulation win may have improved their seed placement, it shows the hard-fought, resilient nature of this group.
The Billikens will host the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the tournament on Nov. 20, 2025, at their home pitch. The winner of that match will go on to play No. 6 overall Indiana on Sunday in Bloomington, Indiana. This will be the men’s 52nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the most in the tournament’s history and their fourth in the last five years.
For a team that has exceeded expectations all season long, they are playing with house money and could run the table if they continue playing with heart, grit and cohesion.